Pol parties miss on IPL popularity pie; no ads during matches

Manash Pratim Bhuyan
New Delhi, Apr 12 (PTI) Efforts of India's political
parties to encash on the popularity of the IPL have suffered a
setback with the league management making it amply clear that
it will not allow telecast of any political advertisements
during the second edition of the mega cricket event.

Chairman of BCCI's Finance Committee Rajeev Shukla
said IPL Governing Council has decided to ban advertisements
by political parties and there will not be any "rethinking" on
the issue.

"The IPL Governing Council in its meeting in Goa
decided not to entertain any political advertisements and we
are not going to reconsider it," Shukla, also a member of the
IPL Governing Council, told PTI here.

Shukla's comments came in response to reported efforts
by major political parties to get the restrictions lifted on
the telecast of political ads during the matches beginning
April 18.

An official of the IPL broadcaster, Multi Screen
Media, refused to comment on the development but admitted that
it would definitely affect its revenue generation.

On whether a section of the Congress and BJP leaders
had requested Indian Premier League (IPL) to reconsider its
decision, Shukla, also a Congress MP, said: "It was a
unanimous decision and BJP's Arun Jaitley was also present in
he governing body meeting."

Asked whether Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was
disappointed over IPL's decision not to allow political ads,
BJP spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh said the party knew about
the decision.

"We are aware of the IPL condition. It does not allow
political advertisement," he said.

Apart from Shukla and Jaitley, the other members of the
IPL governing council include Lalit Modi, Mansoor Ali Khan
Pataudi, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, Chirayu Ameen and I S
Bindra.

Had IPL allowed the political ads, then it would have
been extremely profitable for the broadcaster as they think
the recession will affect their revenue generation in the
first part of the IPL which begins on April 18 in South
Africa.

Chairman in the Centre for Media Studies Bhaskar Rao
said the IPL decision had dampened the enthusiasm of the
political parties.

"It would have been a real opportunity for the political
parties to connect with the young voters. I do not know why
IPL decided not to allow political ads," said Rao. PTI MPB
DEP