Nomination process eased for candidates

In a significant relief for candidates contesting the upcoming October 15 panchayat elections in the state, the State Election Commission has introduced new guidelines allowing candidates to file an affidavit stating they are not in arrears of any taxes or dues to the panchayat, nor are they in unauthorised occupation of property belonging to local authorities.

This change means that candidates are no longer required to submit a no-objection certificate (NOC) at the time of filing nomination papers, which had previously been mandatory.

The responsibility of verifying the accuracy of these affidavits now falls on the government departments concerned, which previously issued the NOCs. These departments must send their report on the affidavits within 24 hours of receiving them from the returning officer. Failure to do so will result in the assumption that the candidate is not a defaulter or in unauthorised occupation of government property.

Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Chief, welcomed the decision, noting that opposition candidates had often faced harassment over NOC-related issues due to political motivations.

The panchayat elections will see the election of 13,237 sarpanches and 83,437 panches across the state, with the vote counting taking place at the respective polling stations on the same day. In some areas, candidates are being elected unopposed.