The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission will upload candidates’ nomination papers and affidavits on its website, opening key local election records to public access after a PIL was filed in the High Court.
The decision covers candidates contesting local body elections, including parishad and sarpanch polls. The documents will be made available online through the SEC’s website, according to the commission’s submission before the court.
The move followed a PIL filed by Valaparla Sivakarthik of Nuzvid, who sought directions for candidates’ nomination papers and affidavits to be published online. The petition raised the issue of making election-related disclosures accessible without requiring citizens to obtain or inspect the documents through offline processes.
In its response to the High Court, the AP SEC stated that it would upload the candidates’ affidavits on its website. The commission also filed an affidavit informing the court that instructions had been issued to the concerned departments to implement the decision.
Nomination papers and affidavits contain information submitted by candidates as part of the election process. Making these records available online will give voters, election observers and other stakeholders a central digital point through which the documents can be accessed for local body contests.
The decision applies to candidates contesting parishad and sarpanch elections in addition to other local body polls covered by the commission’s announcement. The supplied report does not specify the date on which the documents will begin appearing online, the format in which they will be published or whether records from earlier elections will also be uploaded.
The High Court took note of the SEC’s submissions and recorded the details placed before it. After noting that the commission had directed the relevant departments to implement the measure, the court closed the hearing on the PIL.
The next operational step rests with the AP State Election Commission and the departments tasked with carrying out the instructions. The commission’s website will be the platform for the publication of the nomination papers and affidavits.
