AMN / NEW DELHI

SCThe Supreme Court on Friday ordered that candidates contesting elections will have to declare their sources of income as well as that of spouses and dependents.

A bench of Justices Jasti Chelameswar and S Abdul Nazeer issued the directive on a plea by Lucknow-based non-governmental organisation Lok Prahari.

The NGO had alleged election affidavits revealed a significant increase in the assets of 26 Lok Sabha Members of Parliament, 11 Rajya Sabha MPs and 257 MLAs. It contended that the Representation of the People Act, 1951, mandated declaration of assets by candidates contesting elections but not the source of their income.