In Brief
In this contempt petition arising from the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, the Supreme Court examined whether political parties complied with its February 2020 directions requiring disclosure of criminal antecedents of candidates and reasons for their selection. The Court held nine political parties in contempt for not following the directions in letter and spirit, but took a lenient view as these were the first elections after the directions. The Court rejected suggestions to suspend or withdraw party recognition under the Election Symbols Order, holding such action would indirectly add disqualifications—a legislative function beyond judicial power. The Court modified timing requirements for publication and issued further directions for voter awareness campaigns and monitoring compliance, reiterating that addressing criminalization in politics ultimately requires legislative action.
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