Decide on plea seeking to bar people with criminal record from contesting polls: SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court asked the Election Commission on Monday to pass a "reasoned order" on a representation seeking to restrain political parties from fielding candidates with criminal antecedents in polls.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde passed the order while refusing to entertain a PIL filed by lawyer and BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay seeking a direction to the poll panel to devise a mechanism to ensure that parties be restrained from fielding candidates with criminal records.

"We direct the Election Commission of India to consider the representation of the petitioner (Upadhyay) dated January 22, 2019 and pass a reasoned order within three months," said the bench, also comprising Justice B R Gavai.