BENGALURU, 27 MARCH

The Election Commission (EC) has clarified that there is no imposition on displaying and screening of advertisements, movies, and billboards featuring Kannada actor Shivarajkumar.

In a letter to the poll body, the Karnataka State President of BJP OBC Morcha Wing and senior BJP leader R Raghu on 23 March stated the issue that if Shivarajkumar is screened then in a way he will promote his wife Geeta Shivarajkumar who is contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Shivamogga. In reply to that the Election Commission (EC) has clarified that it cannot impose a bar on commercial screenings.

Manoj Kumar Meena, Chief Electoral Officer for Karnataka, stated, "We can only ban the screening of films featuring actors who are contesting polls or campaigning on Doordarshan, which is run by public funds. Commercial screenings on TV channels and cinema theatres cannot be stopped." Additionally, Venkatesh Kumar R, Additional Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), noted that a similar complaint was lodged by Congress during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections against Kannada actor Sudeep, who was the BJP's star campaigner. "We had made it clear then too that commercial screenings cannot be banned," he said.

"While we respect his right to participate in the democratic process, it is imperative to maintain a level playing field and prevent undue advantage or influence during the election period," Raghu said.