HYDERABAD: Candidates who are going to contest the ensuing Assembly elections in Telangana should mandatorily declare their criminal antecedents and make them public through advertisement in leading newspapers and on electronic news channels after filing nomination papers till the polls are held so that the people can take an informed decision accordingly. The publication has to take place thrice in the period between withdrawal of nomination and 48 hours before the polling.
This means that candidates and parties contesting the coming Assembly elections in the state will have to publicise their criminal records at least on three different dates in widely circulated newspapers and on popular TV channels during the campaigning period. A decision in this regard was taken during a video conference held by Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar with Telangana Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar, district collectors and superintendents of police on Tuesday.
On their part, the parties need to publish the criminal antecedents of all their contesting candidates and make them public Statewide at least once in major newspapers and on electronic news channels. After candidates advertise their criminal background in the media, returning officers should cross-check if a candidate has hidden any information. If found exposed in the cross-examination by officials, the candidate’s candidature, even if he wins the election, will be declared null and void.
SC directive
The order comes after a recent SC order which asks candidates to repeatedly advertise their criminal antecedents. Returning officers would then cross check the data for veracity