Bar candidates submitting incomplete or misleading affidavits

Election Commission of India
Nirvachan Sadan
Ashoka Road
New Delhi 1


Dear Dr Quraishi

Petition to bar candidates submitting incomplete or misleading affidavits

The Supreme Court mandated that every candidate standing for election to become a law maker must submit an affidavit declaring their antecedents. A key requirement was the declaration of their financial assets and liabilities.

An important aspect of this information requires the candidate to provide the PAN number, and the spirit of the mandate was that the declared valuations of assets would be at current market values.

Election after election we notice that candidates are submitting incomplete information so many do not provide the PAN number. This is necessary for the Income Tax departments verification of the information submitted.

Valuation of assets current market value may be interpreted as that calculated using current circle rates. But by submitting the valuation as of at the time of the original purchase is an attempt to deliberately mislead the voter with incorrect valuation.

Regarding such affidavits as legitimate is in the view of concerned citizens a deliberate attempt at hoodwinking the electorate. It is a denial of the citizens right to information by the aspiring candidate.

With elections approaching in 5 states, our petition to you is to urgently act against such candidates by rejecting all affidavits which are incomplete or contain misleading valuations.

Our countrys Parliament and legislatures are full of people who have shown utter disregard for the law of the land. Law breakers have become law makers and a direct consequence of allowing such persons to enter our legislatures is evidenced by the increasing number of scams that we witness today. To save our democracy and to instil a respect for the rule of law into all whether ordinary citizen or elected representatives (who act as role models), we urge you to act decisively and with urgency on this matter.