Following the Supreme Court verdict, voters now will be able to read and view past criminal record of all poll candidates in Chhattisgarh through the print and broadcast media.
Candidates contesting in the Chhattisgarh State Assembly Elections 2018 will have to submit an affidavit to the Election Commission of India (ECI) about their past criminal record along with nomination papers, State Chief Electoral Officer Subrat Sahoo said on Friday.
“These records must also have to be published in newspaper with large circulation and aired on TV channels”, he said while addressing a press conference here.
Sahoo said that the recognized political parties and registered non recognized political parties too have to publish declaration about pending criminal cases and punishment to their candidates who are contesting polls in their websites.
These details would also have to be published in newspapers of large circulation and in TV channels. In case of TV channels ,this has be broadcast 48 hours prior to the electoral process being completed, he said.
Regarding campaign for the election, the ECI has permitted 40 star campaigners for recognized political parties and 20 for non recognized registered political parties, the CEO informed.
If the campaigner takes name of candidate or shares the dais then the expenditure of the programme would be included in candidate’s account, Shah said.
He further informed that at least one day prior to the filing of nomination papers, the candidates have to open a new bank account in which poll expenditure account has to be maintained.
The maximum limit of expenditure for a candidate would be Rs 28 Lakh, he informed.
The details of expenditure will have to be submitted by the candidates within 30 days prior to the election result declared, Sahoo added.