According to the Officials, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is considering rolling out a stringent timeline for advertising criminal record by candidates.

The first public declaration might be slotted between the candidates being selected by the party to the date of the nomination being filed, they said. The second declaration might come after the returning officer accepts the nomination & the last date could be advanced to four days before campaigning ends & model code of conduct (MCC) applies, they added.

As per existing Election Commission guidelines, the candidates have to publish this information thrice -- once in a national & twice in a regional newspaper & thrice on TV channels.

According to the poll panel’s notification of Oct 2018, the declarations are done after the last date of withdrawal of nomination & two days before the end of campaigning. Only the candidates, who contest elections, needed to publish the detailed records.

The decision, said Election Commission officials, is aimed at bringing greater transparency in the electoral process. “The issues are being discussed, but haven’t been finalised yet,” said an EC official familiar with the matter.

According to a second official, the decision will make information more readily available to the voters.

He added that “Earlier, the ECI had directed to declare the information thrice. It was noticed that candidates try to defer the publication of their criminal records to the last possible day. “The changes are being considered to favour greater awareness for the voters".

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi, “Logically, the old system should remain because there is no reason for candidates to publicise antecedents if they are going to withdraw their candidature,” said Singhvi.

He added, “However, in totality of things & the need for disclosure & transparency, the declaration does not deserve any major objection".

According to a BJP functionary, who did not wish to be named, the new rules, if implemented, could be a bit of a stretch. “This will make everything more complicated,” he said.

Ex-Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) SY Quraishi said the changes would be in compliance with the Supreme Court order. “It’s a good idea,” said Quraishi. “The number of candidates with criminal cases rising is a matter of grave concern. The voters can make a more informed choice if the candidates declare their antecedents earlier,” he added. 

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