Supreme Court Upholds Candidate’s Right to Privacy

In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court has upheld the right to privacy of candidates, stating that they need not disclose every minute detail of their personal belongings unless it is substantial enough to influence voters. The ruling came in response to an appeal filed by an Independent legislator from Arunachal Pradesh, challenging the voiding of his 2019 election for not declaring certain movable assets.

Justices Aniruddha Bose and Sanjay Kumar emphasized that only assets of substantial value, providing insight into a candidate’s affluence, need to be disclosed. The judgment highlighted that non-disclosure must be of a significant nature to impact the electoral process, and in this case, the failure to declare a few vehicles did not meet that criterion. This decision reinforces the principle of protecting candidates’ privacy while ensuring transparency in the electoral process.