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Wednesday, 11 November 2026 Judgments, law jobs and study notes, written by a practising advocate
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter IX: Of Offences Relating To Elections

Section 169 BNS: Candidate, electoral right defined

Corresponding IPC
Section 171A IPC

Bare Act text

For the purposes of this Chapter—

(a) “candidate” means a person who has been nominated as a candidate at any election;

(b) “electoral right” means the right of a person to stand, or not to stand as, or to withdraw from being, a candidate or to vote or refrain from voting at an election.

Text as enacted in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Act No. 45 of 2023), in force from 1 July 2024. Source: India Code, Government of India.

In simple words

Definitions for the election chapter: a candidate is a person nominated at any election; an electoral right is the right to stand, not stand or withdraw as a candidate, or to vote or refrain from voting.

Chapter IX: Of Offences Relating To Elections

  1. 169 Candidate, electoral right defined
  2. 170 Bribery
  3. 171 Undue influence at elections
  4. 172 Personation at elections
  5. 173 Punishment for bribery
  6. 174 Punishment for undue influence or personation at an election
  7. 175 False statement in connection with an election
  8. 176 Illegal payments in connection with an election
  9. 177 Failure to keep election accounts