ECI to begin taking cognizance of false affidavits filed by candidates

THE Election Commission of India (ECI) today decided that it would now take cognizance of complaints regarding furnishing of false information in the affidavits by candidates and refer such matters to the relevant investigating authorities on a case-to-case basis. 

The decision followed today’s meeting of the full Election Commission comprising Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and two Election Commissioners Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra. Amongst other issues, the Commission discussed the matter of taking cognizance of complaints of false affidavits filed by some candidates along with their nominations, which adversely affects the rights of voters as well as impinging on the purity of the electoral process. 

As per the ECI, filing of false affidavits by candidates during the nomination process, in terms of false or incomplete information, is a key challenge as it undermines the rights of voters to be fully informed about their political representatives.

 “The Supreme Court in catena of judgments (Resurgent India v. Election Commission of India, 2014 14 SCC 189; Rambabu Singh Thakur v. Sunil Arora 2020 SCC online SC178) has held the truthful disclosure of all relevant information by a candidate as integral to the electoral process and any denial or false disclosure would tantamount to vitiating the integrity of elections”, the ECI said. 

“Commission views the erosion of this fundamental right as an affront to the democratic ideals which underpin the system of government. Furnishing false information in election affidavits is a devious design to defeat the right of the voter to be informed and transparency in elections. The Commission has today decided to robustly address this challenge to further ensure free, fair and ethical elections in the country”, the ECI said in its press note.

 

Read the ECI press note here:

[pdfviewer]http://theleaflet.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ECI-16th-June.pdf[/pdfviewer]