Decision on debarring shady poll candidates not taken: Govt

The government today said that it had received several proposals recommending the debarring of candidates with criminal antecedents from contesting in elections, but no decision has been taken in this regard.

The government on Monday said that it had received several proposals recommending the debarring of candidates with criminal antecedents from contesting in elections, but no decision has been taken in this regard.

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"As the matter involves detailed study and careful consideration in consultation with the political parties, no decision has been arrived at in this regard," law and justice minister Salman Khurshid said in reply to a Rajya Sabha question by senior journalist and MP HK Dua.

Proposals have been received from different quarters which included Election Commission of India and the Law Commission.

In his questions to the law minister, Dua had also wanted to know if a large number of criminals had got elected in the recent assembly elections in five states.

"The Election Commission has informed that they have not compiled the information about the number of candidates with criminal background who contested the recently held assembly elections in the five states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur," Khurshid said in his reply.