Poll candidates, kin must reveal income source: SC

NEWDELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday made it mandatory for candidates contesting elections to declare the sources of income for them, their spouses and dependants in a landmark judgment that aims to ensure probity among politicians.

The judgment, which comes 15 years after the top court, in another landmark judgment, asked candidates to disclose their assets also expressed concern that the trend of undue accretion of assets of legislators and their associates is an indicator of the beginning of a failing democracy.

A bench led by Justice J Chelameswar also said that candidates must also disclose their or their families’ interest or stake in government contracts. Directing the concerned authority (the Election Commission ) to make changes in the nomination form, the top court said non-disclosure of such information would amount to corrupt practice under the law, and ground for a lawmaker’s disqualification.

Increase in the assets of legislators or their associates disproportionate to the known sources of their respective incomes is, by compelling inference, a constitutionally impermissible conduct and may eventually constitute an offence under the anti-corruption law, the court said. This should be a ground to disqualify the leaders, it observed.

The SC judgment was delivered on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Lucknowbased NGO Lok Prahari and will have a bearing on the forthcoming assembly elections scheduled in five states this year, starting with the Karnataka polls.