The Association for Democratic Reforms, whose PIL seeking filing of IT returns by political parties was rejected by the Supreme Court last week, has been raising pertinent issues concerning our democracy, and the conduct of elections from time to time. Its major achievement was the recognition of the right to information about the background of candidates in 2002 through a PIL in Delhi High Court, which later gained approval in the Supreme Court. Its latest petition, therefore, must be understood as a continuation of its campaign for electoral and political reform, and not as a means to get cheap publicity, as unfortunately concluded by the Supreme Court Bench. The PIL petition seeking Court’s intervention to make political parties pay their income-tax can be read here.

The ADR has also brought out its latest report on the Chhattisgarh assembly elections, focussing on the background of candidates, which will be of interest to us.