In Brief
This judgment addresses the contempt of previous Supreme Court directions regarding transparency in political candidate selection. The Court found that political parties had failed to adequately disclose information about candidates with pending criminal cases. It reissued mandatory directions requiring political parties to publish detailed information about such candidates on their websites, in newspapers, and on social media within 48 hours of selection, explaining their choice based on merit rather than electoral viability. The Court noted that criminal cases among Members of Parliament had risen from 24% in 2004 to 43% in 2019, highlighting the growing criminalisation of Indian politics and the need for public disclosure.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.