Sadda Haq: Here’s How You Can Know Your Candidate Better

A candidate’s nomination paper & affidavit provides information on his life, assets and educational qualifications.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

Video Editor: Deepthi Ramdas
Camera: Abhishek Ranjan

Are there any qualifications or restrictions on candidates contesting elections to the Lok Sabha? Are criminals allowed to fight elections? What if they hide crucial information and eventually become the winning candidate? If you have these questions in mind, then don’t sweat. On this episode of Sadda Haq, The Quint will explain the various documents that a candidate must show while filing their nomination.

In order to be eligible for contesting the Lok Sabha Elections, a candidate must meet a few basic qualifications. He should be a citizen of India, should be 25 years of age, his name should appear in the electoral rolls. Additionally, he or she must not hold an office of profit or be mentally unsound.

At the time of filing nominations, a candidate must fill two forms – the nomination paper and an accompanying affidavit. In the nomination paper, a candidate must declare that they are eligible to contest elections.

There are a bunch of conditions that can disqualify a candidate. If a person is convicted under Section 8, 8-A, 9, 9-A, 10, 10-A of the Representation of the People Act or for any other crime for which he/she has been sentenced to more than two years in prison, then the candidate cannot contest election within six years from the date of release. If a candidate manages to win the election by violating this rule and contests before the said period, he/she can be disqualified.

Moreover, a candidate must declare pending criminal cases against themselves, if any, in which charges have been framed by a court, in the election affidavit. The candidate must inform his political party about these cases and both should publish advertisements in newspapers and television channels informing voters about a candidate’s criminal record.

Additionally, a candidate must, in the affidavit, provide information about his assets, existing dues, educational qualifications as well his address. Both the nomination paper and the affidavit must be uploaded on the Election Commission’s website and on the notice board of its local offices, for the perusal of voters.