The Supreme Court on Thursday directed all political parties to publish the criminal history of their candidates for Assembly and Lok Sabha polls on their websites, social media along with reasons for choosing them over other without criminal background, within 48 hours of the selection of the candidates.
“Political parties will have to specify reasons for selecting candidates having pending criminal cases against them on their website,” said the court.
SC also asked the political parties to submit the same details with Election Commission of India within 72 hours.
“The reason to select candidates should be based on merit and not winnability. Winnability can’t be the only justification,” the bench remarked.
The bench also raised concerns over the fact that there has been an alarming rise in the number of elected people with criminal backgrounds.
“In case the political parties fail to do submit their details, then it will be considered as contempt of court,” the bench said.
SC was hearing contempt petitions filed by BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay and others.
In September 2018, the SC had directed the Centre to immediately frame laws to prohibit the ones engaged in serious crime from contesting elections and holding positions in the party.
The petitions had alleged that despite court’s order, no serious efforts were being made to stop the criminalization of politics.
The recently concluded elections in Delhi show a steep rise in the ones elected with criminal cases against them. Over 50 per cent of the newly-elected MLAs face serious criminal cases, says a report by an independent electoral-reforms body Association of Democratic Reforms.