For first time, crime CVs must for all candidates

As per this provision, those who have been convicted and sentenced for not less than two years are debarred from contesting.

So the exclusion of this category by the ordinance meant that returning officers would have no means of getting information from candidates about the cases that attract disqualification. This is because the ordinance also bars the candidates from giving any information other than what is specifically required by it.

The anomaly created by the ordinance came to light two days ago when the EC asked the J&K Government to undo the damage.

But since there is no provision to amend an ordinance, the Government was forced to find some other way of making amends for this error.

So it changed the Conduct of Election Rules yesterday to introduce the other affidavit the candidates will have to file along with their nomination form and the affidavit prescribed by the ordinance.

In this second affidavit, the candidates are specifically required to disclose details of the cases where they have been sentenced for at least two years.

Thus, while the affidavit prescribed by the ordinance will only serve the purpose of informing voters about the criminal antecedents of the candidate concerned, the second affidavit hastily introduced yesterday under the guise of amending rules forms the basis on which he may be disqualified from contesting.

Apart from this anomaly, the J&K election will also be the first one where candidates throughout the state will be disclosing information about pending cases where charges have been framed for offences punishable with imprisonment of two years or more.

Besides, on the pattern of an ordinance the Centre proposes to promulgate, the J&K ordinance seeks to overrule the EC’s order on the issue of assets and liabilities of candidates.

The state ordinance exempts the candidates from disclosing any such information at the time of filing their nominations. It requires only the winning candidates to disclose their financial details to the Speaker of the Assembly within 90 days of their election.