Parties To Explain Why Candidates With Criminal Past Selected: Election Commission

Political parties will have to compulsorily explain the reasons behind the selection of candidates with a criminal past, said the  Election Commission today, adding that "winnability" as reason alone will not suffice.

The poll body made it clear that the parties will have to publish information about the candidates.

"It is mandatory for political parties to upload on their website detailed information regarding individuals with pending criminal cases selected as poll candidates. They will also have to give a reason to select the candidate," said Sushil Chandra, the Chief Election Commissioner.

The top poll body said the citizens had the right to know their candidates. The details about the candidates will also have to be uploaded on Election Commission's Know Your Candidate web page.

The poll body's order is in line with the Supreme Court's ruling last February that the political parties must upload on their websites details of criminal cases against poll candidates and the reasons for selecting them to counter an "alarming rise in the criminalisation of politics".

"The reason to select candidates should be based on merit and not winnability. Winnability can't be the only justification," the top court had directed last year.

If political parties failed to give the details, or the Election Commission was unable to implement the directive, it would be considered contempt of court, the Supreme Court had said.