New Delhi: Armed with the Supreme Court order on electoral reforms, the Election Commission on March 31 issued a set of guidelines making it mandatory for candidates to declare their criminal antecedents, if any, assets and liabilities and educational qualifications at the time of filing their nominations.

The guidelines would come into force with immediate effect, EC sources said adding elections to three Rajya Sabha seats in Kerala in April would be held under the new guidelines.

Under the guidelines, every candidate at the time of filing his or her nomination paper for any election to the Council of States, House of the People, state Legislative Assembly or the Legislative Council should furnish full and complete information in an affidavit, a press note issued by the EC said.

The affidavit by each candidate shall be duly sworn before a Magistrate of the First Class or a Notary Public or a Commissioner of Oaths appointed by the High Court of the State concerned, the note said.

"Non-furnishing of the affidavit by any candidate shall be considered to be violation of the order of the Supreme Court and the nomination of the candidate concerned shall be liable to rejection by the returning officer at the time of scrutiny of nominations for such non-furnishing of the affidavit," it said.

PTI