NEW DELHI: Candidates contesting elections will have to advertise their criminal antecedents as the Election Commission on Wednesday made it mandatory. The candidates will now have to fill up an amended Form (26). They will have to inform parties about the cases in which they have been convicted and the cases pending against them.
According to the notification issued by the EC, candidates will have to advertise their criminal records at least on three different dates in widely circulated newspapers and popular TV channels during the campaign period. Candidates who do not have any criminal records have to mention that. Political parties, too, will have to give publicity to the criminal records of candidates fielded by them.
“This declaration is to be published in Format C 1, at least on three different dates from the day following the last date for withdrawal of candidatures and up to two days before the date of poll. The matter should be published in font size of at least 12 and should be placed suitably in the newspapers so that the directions for wide publicity are complied with in letter and spirit,” said the EC.
Candidates have to submit clippings of their declaration published in papers and parties have to submit details about the number of such candidates in a state. Elections are to be held in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana in November-December. The parties, the EC said, will be “obliged” to put the information about the candidates on their websites. Parties which fail to comply, face the prospects of getting their recognition withdrawn or suspended.
Though the EC direction is silent on whether the candidates will have to pay from their pocket for the publicity, a senior official said since it’s a poll-related expenditure, the candidates will have to bear the cost.
Publicity
Candidates will have to advertise their criminal records at least on three different dates in widely circulated newspapers and popular TV channels.