Hari Shankar Brahma is the new Chief Election Commissioner even as his predecessor VS Sampath while passing the baton to him on Thursday reminded of the two recommendations pending with the Centre to bar candidates with criminal record to contest polls and the need to curb paid news.
Brahma, aged 64, will oversee the Delhi elections in his brief tenure of three months ending April 19. A notification issued by the law Ministry confirmed his appointment. He will hold the first sitting as CEC on Friday.
In his last interview to the media, Sampath reiterated that the two areas where Commission sought legislative intervention by the Centre was decriminalisation of politics and paid news. “Candidates facing grave charges of murder and other crimes should be disqualified from contesting elections in a bid to decriminalise politics,” CEC said.
On paid news, he added that unless paid news is not made an electoral offence, a level-playing field in elections cannot be ensured. In a set of recommendations forwarded to the Centre, the EC proposed that candidates against whom charges are framed by a criminal court in a crime carrying a sentence of five years or more will be disqualified to stand in the election fray.
“Now it is for the Government to bring legislative amendments to the electoral law to achieve these objectives,” Sampath said, adding, “This is one of the long-pending demands of the Election Commission in electoral reforms arena.”
In his view disqualifying elected representatives on conviction was not enough. Although Supreme Court recently struck down the protection enjoyed by convicted MPs/MlAs to remain in office by filing an appeal, Sampath observed, “Why allow the person who is likely to be convicted to even contestIJ”
Besides, EC has also sought in its set of recommendations a limit on spending by political parties during elections though no cap has been suggested. “Once it is accepted in principle, cap can be suggested. We have not come to that stage,” CEC added.