LUCKNOW, Feb. 23 -- Ahead of crucial assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has issued a firm directive to its units in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to field only candidates with an unblemished legal record, underscoring what party leaders describe as a "zero-tolerance" policy on criminalisation.

The decision was conveyed at an all-India review meeting chaired by BSP president Mayawati at her Lucknow residence on Sunday.

Elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala are due later this year, alongside polls in Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

Preparations for the elections were discussed at the meeting. The top leadership's stance that credibility will not be sacrificed for electoral arithmetic comes amid ...