EC eyes fresh law to bar criminals

If the Election Commission has its way, then some of our parliamentarians will have to call it quits. The EC is sending recommendations to t...

If the Election Commission has its way, then some of our parliamentarians will have to call it quits. The EC is sending recommendations to the government suggesting that a fresh legislation be introduced to bar ‘‘tainted’’ (chargesheeted) persons from contesting elections.

In the new set of proposals to ‘‘clean up the system’’ — being sent to the Prime Minister as well as the Law Ministry — the EC has strongly recommended that it be empowered to disqualify chargesheeted candidates from getting into the electoral fray.

‘‘The idea is not to wait for the conviction by court to bar the ‘tainted’ persons from contesting elections,’’ EC sources said.

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The EC’s recommendations, in its earlier avatar, had been rejected by Parliament on the ground that it would lead to a political witch-hunt. But, the EC, appears to think otherwise.

The charges are framed, the EC sources said, on the basis of evidence gathered by the investigative agencies, ‘‘so where is the question of a political witch-hunt?’’

‘‘Even in the case of heinous crimes like rape and murder, disqualification can only follow conviction in court. The Commission strongly feels that a legislation is required not just to arrest criminalisation of politics, but also to stall ‘criminals’ from contesting elections and coming to Parliament,’’ EC sources said.

The EC is also recommending a ‘‘long-term solution’’ to the vexed issue of political advertisements in the visual media. The matter is already pending before the Supreme Court which has banned surrogate political advertisements and appointed the EC as referee to evaluate the ‘‘upfront’’ political ads.

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‘‘There has to be a regulatory mechanism, the Cable TV Network (Regulations) Act (suspended by the Andhra High Court) needs to be properly fleshed out,’’ sources added.