In a significant development for electoral transparency, the affidavits of candidates contesting the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections in Punjab are now available online, following a directive from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. This move has been hailed as a victory for civil society, driven by the efforts of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), members of the organisation stated.
Similar to the affidavits of candidates contesting Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections—which have been accessible on the Election Commission of India’s website since 2003—these documents disclose crucial details such as criminal records, educational qualifications, assets, liabilities, and income. While several state election commissions adopted this practice years ago, Punjab had resisted implementing it for ULB elections until now, they said.
Jaskirat Singh, Trustee of ADR, described the development as a landmark reform. “For nearly two decades, affidavits of Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha candidates have been available online. However, the same transparency was missing for ULB elections. This change was made possible due to the relentless efforts of activists and lawyers, led by Advocate Parminder Singh Vig, who pursued this case in the Punjab and Haryana High Court,” he said. Singh urged citizens and media to leverage this resource to scrutinize candidates’ details before voting in upcoming municipal corporation and urban local body elections.
Advocate Parminder Singh Vig expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the legal battle. “It’s gratifying that affidavits of ULB election candidates in Punjab are now accessible to everyone at the click of a button. It took sustained effort, but the results are worth it. We encourage citizens and the media to use this platform to make informed voting decisions,” he said.
The affidavits can be accessed online at https://lbpams.punjab.gov.in/Kyc-Urban-State/?stateMasterId=1. This resource is expected to play a crucial role in fostering transparency and accountability in the democratic process.
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