Political parties must make criminal histories of their poll candidates public within 48 hours of their nomination, the Supreme Court said Wednesday, in a major step toward decriminalizing politics.
Candidates must upload these details either within 48 hours of their selection or at least two weeks before the first day for filing nomination papers, according to a Supreme Court judgment issued in February last year in connection with the Bihar election in November. That time limit has now been reduced to 48 hours.
The court also stated that criminal cases against MLAs or MPs cannot be withdrawn without the approval of High Courts, to prevent state governments from abusing their authority. The court is hearing a petition that calls for suspending the symbol of political parties that do not disclose the criminal backgrounds of their candidates.
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