Section 73ASection 73A

s. 73A

73A [(1) Whoever, during the period from publication of notification under Article 11 to the date of publication of result of the election in the official gazette knowingly creates, publishes, shares, or promotes any false or misleading information, image, video, audio, or other content-whether created manually or generated by artificial intelligence (AI) tools- with intent to harm the reputation of any contesting candidate or to influence the election result or otherwise impair the electoral integrity and environment, or uses automated bots, fake accounts, or synthetic media to disseminate false information against opposition candidates, political parties or the Commission, shall be guilty of corrupt practice under Article 73 and shall be punished thereunder. (2) If the offence is committed by a person on behalf of a political party, candidate, campaign organization, or media agency, both the individual and the entity shall be held jointly liable.]

1. 207. Article 73A was added by section 29 of the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2026 (Act No. 03 of 2026). (with effect from 03 November, 2025)