CHENNAI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed all political parties and candidates contesting the upcoming elections to publicly disclose their criminal antecedents through print, electronic media and digital platforms before polling.

The directive, issued in line with Supreme Court orders, requires candidates to publish details of pending criminal cases in newspapers and on television, while political parties must also disseminate the information through their official websites and media platforms.

To ensure compliance, returning officers in each constituency have been tasked with reminding candidates to make the disclosures. Reports on the publication of criminal antecedents will be routed to the ECI through the District Election Officer and the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).

The ECI has prescribed a three-phase timeline for publication. The first disclosure must be made within four days of withdrawal of nominations, followed by a second between the fifth and eighth days, and a final round from the ninth day until the end of the campaign period.

The Commission said the initiative aims to enable voters to make informed choices by accessing candidates’ criminal backgrounds without intermediaries.

Additionally, the ECI has launched a mobile application, ECINET, which provides details of candidates’ criminal antecedents as declared by them. The app is available on the Commission’s website as well as on Google Play and the Apple App Store.