Candidates can be disqualified if information on assets, liabilities not disclosed, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has held that candidates contesting elections can be disqualified if they fail to disclose information about assets and liabilities of even their spouse and dependent children.

A bench of Justices Surinder Singh Nijjar and Arjan Kumar Sikri said that a person contesting elections is also under legal obligation to disclose information on his or her criminal antecedents and educational qualifications.

The apex court said that at the time of filing the nomination paper, if a candidate leaves any column blank seeking information on criminal antecedents, educational qualifications and assets and liabilities, then it will result in rejection at the scrutiny stage itself.

The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by Kisan Shankar Kathore, who was elected to Maharashtra Assembly in the October 2004 elections from Ambernath constituency. His appeal was dismissed by the court.