Skip to main content

Upload affidavits of Gujarat local body poll candidates on State Election Commission website immediately, demands ADR

By A Representative
In a move that might embarrass Gujarat’s State Election Commission (SEC) even further, the well-known national election watchdog, Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), has asked SEC chairman Dr Varesh Sinha to immediately upload the affidavits of the candidates contesting Gujarat local body elections on the SEC “for dissemination of information to voters.”
An ADR letter to Sinha, also signed by those representing Gujarat Election Watch, the state wing of the National Election Watch (NEW), a congregation of over 1,200 civil society groups across the country, said, this should be done “on the lines of Parliamentary and Assembly elections.”
The letter comes after the SEC received three major drubbings at the hands of the Gujarat High Court: Its compulsory voting decision was put off as violation of fundamental rights; the decision to postpone the local body elections on the grounds of law and order situation in the wake of the Patidar agitation was set aside; and the decision to not to have None of the Above (NOTA) button was rejected.
ADR said, “On the lines of Parliamentary and Assembly elections, affidavits with nomination papers should also be taken from candidates contesting local body elections containing information about their criminal antecedents, assets and liabilities, and educational qualifications.”
Insisting that “the scanned copy of these affidavits should be put up on the website within 24 hours of filing of the affidavit”, the ADR said, “The voters’ right to know the antecedents of the candidates is based on interpretation of Article 19(1)(a) which provides that all citizens of this country would have fundamental right to “freedom of speech and expression” and this phrase is construed to include fundamental right to know relevant antecedents of the candidate contesting the elections.”
The ADR reminded the SEC that in March 2003, in the ADR vs Union of India case, the Supreme Court, in a “landmark” judgment, “made it mandatory for candidates contesting Lok Sabha and Assembly elections to declare their criminal antecedents, assets and liabilities and educational qualifications.”
“In keeping with the spirit of the judgement, at the All India State Election Commissioners' (SEC) Conference held in July 2003, all the State Election Commissions had unanimously resolved to implement the disclosure rules in local body elections”, the ADR said.
Pointing out that on June 28, 2011, Gujarat SEC also issued an order in this regard, the ADR said, “SECs of almost all the big states have also issued the similar orders”, and in the recently concluded UP Panchayat elections and Maharashtra Municipal body elections the affidavits of candidates contesting local body elections in these states “were readily available on their SEC websites.”
The ADR provided following links to the analysis it made of earlier local body elections:
  • http://adrindia.org/research-and-report/election-watch/localbodies/maharashtra/2015/analysis-criminal-and-financial,
  • http://adrindia.org/research-andreports/local-bodies/analysis-criminal-financial-other-details-candidates-contesting-municipalcorporation-delhi)
Those who have signed the letter include ADR head Maj Gen Anil Verma (retd); Prof Trilochan Sastry, founder member, ADR, faculty, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore; and Prof Jagdeep Chhokar, founder member, ADR, former director in-charge, IIM-Ahmedabad.
Roshan Shah

RTI activist demands affidavits to be put online

Earlier, a well-known RTI and political activist, Roshan Shah wrote a letter to Sinha protesting against the failure of the SEC, Gujarat, to upload past affidavits on the candidates fighting local body elections on the SEC website.
Shah insisted, “If the affidavits of candidates contesting corporation elections this time are also not put online, SEC and returning officers must take up detailed scrutiny of repeat candidates by comparing their records with all of their past affidavits.”
“It will not be possible for other candidates to raise objections during scrutiny process because of non-availability of past records and therefore it is all the more responsibility and duty of SEC/returning officers to compare the affidavits with past affidavits and register FIRs for any concealment, misrepresentations of false information and reject such candidates at the time of scrutiny”, Shah demanded.
“Not doing so would be considered as intentional mischief by SEC in collusion with the State government and allowing fake, false and bogus candidates to contest elections thereby cheating the voters”, Shah said.

Comments

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Overriding India's constitutional sovereignty? Citizens urge PM to reject WHO IHR amendments

By A Representative   A group of concerned Indian citizens, including medical professionals and activists, has sent an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reject proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) before the ratification deadline of July 19, 2025. 

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative   A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.