The Supreme Court had in its judgement of May, 2002, mandated candidates to disclose their criminal antecedents as also details of their financial and educational background.Predictably, the law makers -- the political class -- closed ranks, ganging up against the Election Commission's efforts to implement the court order, negating any possibility of electoral-reforms.Outlook Saptahik, the group's weekly in Hindi, examines the criminal-politician nexus, particularly in four states -- UP, Bihar, MP and Rajasthan.