The Election Commission (EC) on Friday decided to revise the timeline for political parties and candidates to publish details of the criminal antecedents of the nominees, starting from within four days of the last date for withdrawal of nominations till two days before polling.
In a meeting, the EC discussed the issue at length and decided to streamline its previous instructions regarding publicity of the criminal cases against candidates, an EC statement said.
“The Commission has always emphasised on this moral yardstick for overall betterment of electoral democracy,” the statement read.
According to the new timeline, which goes into effect immediately, political parties who nominate a candidate with any cases against them and the candidates themselves will have to first publish the details within four days of the last date of withdrawal, then within five to eight days of the last date of withdrawal, and then between nine days from the last date of withdrawal till the last day of campaign, which is 48 hours before polling.
“This timeline will help the voters in exercising their choices in more informed manner,” the statement said.
The EC also clarified that candidates who win uncontested and their political parties would also have to publicise the criminal antecedents.
On March 6 this year, after the Supreme Court judgment on publishing of criminal antecedents of candidates, the EC issued instructions to parties and candidates about the same.
“Information regarding individuals with criminal cases, who have been selected as candidates, along with the reasons for such selection, as also as to why other individuals without criminal antecedents could not be selected as candidates shall be published by the political party in the newspapers, social media platform and website of the party in the enclosed Format C-7 within 48 hours of the selection of the candidate or not less than two weeks before the first date for filing of nominations, whichever is earlier,” the order read.
Earlier, the EC had issued instructions on October 10, 2018 to parties and candidates to publish the information on at least three dates from the day after the last date for withdrawal of candidature till two days before the date of poll.
