In Brief
A contempt petition arose from Bihar Legislative Assembly elections (October-November 2020) challenging whether political parties complied with the Supreme Court's February 2020 Order requiring disclosure of candidates' criminal antecedents and non-arbitrary reasons for their selection. The Court found eight out of ten major political parties guilty of contempt for inadequate disclosures, vague reasoning ('winnability' alone), or mechanical compliance. Two parties completely failed to submit required forms. The Court rejected suggestions to suspend party recognition, holding such directions would violate separation of powers. It modified the publication timeline, imposed fines (₹1-5 Lakh), and issued new directions requiring website disclosures, a mobile app, and voter awareness campaigns to strengthen the right to information in elections."
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