Shillong, Jan 13: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed all candidates with criminal background to publish about the cases against them in newspapers and news channels.

“The Commission has mandated that each candidate, if he has a criminal background, must publish it in newspapers three times prominently and also in news channels that these are the cases against me so that the voters can make an informed choice. If he still wants to vote, that is the voter’s choice; our job is to put it in the public domain, publicize it as much as possible,” Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar informed the reporters in Shillong on Friday.

He said that political parties who have given them tickets must also publish their justification in the same manner. “(They must) explain and give it in newspapers and also give a justification as to why they have selected a person with a criminal background. Was it so difficult to get a person without criminal background in that particular constituency; that also the political parties need to publish and this application voters can know what is the ground and what are the charges,” he said.

Kumar also informed that all paramilitary forces, polling officials and voting machines will be randomized. “Nobody will know which booth it will go as it is randomized. No paramilitary force will know which company is going where,” he said.