Candidates contesting upcoming general elections will have to declare their criminal records through affidavits in newspapers before filling their nomination papers. The five judge bench of Supreme Court last year stated that if a candidate had a criminal background, it must be given the widest possible publicity including in the print and electronic media.
The office of chief electoral officer will implement the Apex Court directives so that candidates contesting the upcoming general election declares their criminal records through affidavits.
Sources said that the Supreme Court directives are to provide more information to people about the candidates they are going to choose.
Manish Ranjan, the additional chief electoral officer said, “As per the Supreme Court directive given last year , a candidate is required to declare criminal antecedents and cases which he or she is facing. The candidates have to get the affidavits publish in newspapers or electronic media thrice before the election.”
As per the Supreme Court directives, the Election Commission of India has issued directives under which each candidate will have all entries in the prescribed format given by the Election Commission. The format also includes columns where the candidates have to mention pending criminal cases in bold letters.
Also if the candidate is contesting the election on the ticket of a political party, the candidate has to inform the political party regarding his or her criminal cases. The political party after receiving the information about the criminal cases from concerned candidates has to declare the information in their party website. Also, candidate and concerned political party will make a declaration in this regard which they will have to publish, broadcast in newspapers and electronic media thrice before the elections.
The people have welcomed the Supreme Court directives. Ankita Sinha, a college student and first time voter welcoming the SC directive said, “earlier candidates and political parties used to declare their manifesto or promises which many a times turn out to be false.
The election manifesto or promises of candidates was such rosy that many unaware voter used to vote in support of candidate without knowing his or her background. But now as candidates will have to declare their criminal record it will provide full information about the candidate record.” Even the SC directive has political parties in tightrope in selecting candidates. A senior Congress leader on condition of anonymity said, “As political parties and candidates would have to declare criminal records, various political parties will be more cautious in selecting candidates for general elections. While selecting candidates political parties will go for searching such candidates who are not tainted.”