Electoral candidates will soon have to list their income source too

NEW DELHI: The government told the Supreme Court that it will amend the laws soon to make it compulsory for people seeking to contest elections to reveal the source of their income as well as that of their spouses and dependents.

In an affidavit filed in the top court, the law ministry said necessary changes will be made after due deliberations to make it compulsory for candidates to give this information at the time of filing nomination papers. It, though, did not give any timeline to change the laws.

The Election Commission had earlier backed the need for candidates to disclose the source of income of their spouses and dependents in the interest of promoting democracy.

Under the existing mechanism, a candidate is required to disclose details of assets and liabilities for himself, his spouse and three dependents, but not the source of the income. A Lucknow-based NGO has sought court intervention to make declaration of income source compulsory.

However, the government did not agree to the NGO’s demand to make filing of false information a ground for disqualification. Parliament will have to take a call on this, the ministry said, dismissing the demand made in a public interest litigation filed by NGO Lok Prahari.

The NGO also sought a law to disqualify a lawmaker if he has a share or interest in a firm that enters into a business contract with the government or a public company. The government said this involved policy issues.

The ministry agreed to a demand that every candidate give a positive affirmation that he does not suffer from any disqualification under the election laws.

The court will examine all these demands at the next hearing of the case.