Bhubaneswar: With the Nuapada by-election approaching, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed the contestants contesting the election to disclose their criminal records.
This move aims to inform voters about the candidates’ backgrounds and promote accountability.
According to the directives, political parties will publish criminal records in Form C(7) through print media, official social media, and websites within 48 hours of candidate selection. They will also send Form 8(C) and a copy of Form C(7) directly to the Election Commission of India within 72 hours of candidate selection.
The ECI has directed political parties to submit Form-C(A) to the ECI through the Chief Electoral Officer, Odisha, by Monday, October 20, 2025.
Going by the directive, the deadline for withdrawal of nominations is October 24, 2025, by which Form 7(A) must be submitted to the ECI. All aforementioned documents are to be submitted to the Election Commission via camc-eci@eci.gov.in.
The ECI has also made it clear that political parties and candidates who fail to comply with the aforementioned directives will be deemed to be in contempt of the Supreme Court’s orders. Furthermore, the directive states that strict action will be taken against them.