Kerala Assembly Polls 2026: V.D. Satheesan alleges Model Code of Conduct violations, asks EC to take down government hoardings

Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan has urged the Election Commission of India (EC) to take down hoardings and advertisements celebrating the achievements of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government from public spaces, calling them a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

The continued presence of these advertisements creates an “uneven playing field and has the potential to influence voters, thereby compromising the fairness of the electoral process,” Mr. Satheesan said in a complaint to the Chief Electoral Officer (Kerala) Rathan U. Kelkar on Wednesday (March 18, 2026).

“Despite the (election) notification coming into effect, government hoardings and advertisements highlighting the achievements and schemes of the State government continue to be displayed prominently across different parts of Kerala. It is particularly alarming that such promotional materials remain visible on Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses as well as in various public spaces, which is in clear violation of the guidelines requiring the prompt removal of all government publicity once the MCC is enforced,” he said.

While demanding the removal of the advertisements, Mr. Satheesan also sought action against the people responsible for the MCC violation. Further, he also demanded strong monitoring mechanisms to prevent further breaches of the MCC.

The Congress had previously raised the matter at a meeting of political parties convened by Mr. Kelkar on Monday (March 16, 2026). At the meeting the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] representative had urged the EC to take a practical view of this issue as any action against advertisements on KSRTC buses would also be applicable to those of the Union government placed on trains.