The Election Commission on Thursday said that all candidates must disclose their sources of income along with that of their spouse and dependants when they file their nomination papers. The poll body asked the Supreme Court to make this mandatory for the sake of a “healthier democracy”, reported PTI.

Currently, a candidate is required to disclose details of their own assets and liabilities, their spouse’s and three dependants’ under Form 26. “The existing format of the poll affidavit does not give any information in respect of the sources of income of the candidate and his family members to enable the electors to form an informed choice as to whether the increase of the income of the candidate from the previous election is reasonable or not,” said the Election Commission.

The poll panel also asked the apex court to amend the Representation of the People Act to ensure that a candidate is disqualified when their or any of their family members has an existing contract with the government. “The increasing role of money power in elections is too well known and is one of the maladies which sometimes reduces the process of election into a mere farce by placing some privileged candidates with financial resources in a distinctly advantageous position as compared to other candidates,” said the poll panel.

The commission also proposed a two-year jail term for candidates who file false affidavits. The penalty tenure is now six months.

The submissions were made in the Supreme Court after NGO Lok Prahri filed a petition to seek amendment to the Representation of the People Act.