Patna, Nov 4 (India Today) : Following a massive controversy over a BJP advertisement featuring a cow, the Election Commission on Wednesday told all the political parties that no newspaper ads will be published without its permission on Thursday, the last day of the five-phase election in Bihar. The poll panel has also sought clarification from the BJP's Bihar unit and all the newspapers that published the front page ad.

The EC crackdown came after leaders of the Grand Alliance complained to the poll panel over the BJP ad, calling it blatantly communal and aimed at influencing the voters through religious beliefs and symbols. The ad featured a woman hugging a cow, and attacked Janata Dal-United's Nitish Kumar over his "silence" on remarks made by his ally, Lalu Prasad, and others.

"If the Election Commission fails to take any action against the advertisement published by the BJP, we will complain about the EC to the President of India," KC Tyagi of the Janata Dal (United) had said earlier on Wednesday.

Delhi Chief Minister and a Nitish supporter in the crucial Bihar election, Arvind Kejriwal, tweeted the ad, asking, "Have these ads in Bihar been given by BJP's fringe elements? Or by BJP top brass?"

In the closely-contested Bihar election, the state has already voted in four phases. The fifth phase of polling on Thursday will be held in 57 Assembly constituencies. Votes will be counted this Sunday.