The Election Commission on Friday directed States to ensure that those intending to contest polls are provided with ‘no dues certificate’ within 48 hours of the request as those who do not submit the document while filing nominations face the prospect of their papers being rejected.

If a candidate is not able to provide ‘no dues certificate’ even after he has cleared all such dues, it goes against his candidature at the time of scrutiny of nominations.

The EC advisory noted that there is “no respite” to the candidate even if he submits ‘no dues certificate’ after expiry of the statutory period of filing of nominations in the constituency concerned.

Such instances may cause significant loss not only to the aspiring candidates but also to the political parties and electorate of the constituency concerned and “undermines the principles of participatory electoral democracy”, the poll authority said.

The advisory has been issued to ensure that this does not happen. It said during the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, an intending candidate could not obtain such a certificate despite clearing dues.

A candidate who files nomination paper during an election to Parliament and state legislature has also to file an affidavit before the returning officer concerned under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

During ongoing elections to the Lok Sabha, 2024, it has come to the notice of the Election Commission that an intending candidate could not obtain “No Dues Certificate” from concerned authorities and therefore could not file the same with respect to the (a) rent, (b) electricity charges, (c) water charges and (d) telephone charges, even after the candidate had supposedly cleared all such dues. Such instances may cause significant loss not only to the aspiring candidates but also to the political parties and electorate of the constituency concerned and undermines the principles of participatory electoral democracy

The Supreme Court in its various judgments has said that the affidavit so submitted should be completely filled in and no column should be left blank.