Bhubaneswar, March 18: For the first time, a candidate’s affidavit, submitted to the Election Commission at the time of filling in nominations, will be displayed at gram panchayat levels of the constituency concerned.

A candidate is supposed to submit an affidavit listing his movable and immovable properties and also if any criminal case is pending against him. An Assembly area has nearly 50 gram panchayats.

In urban areas, it will be displayed at notified area council and municipality level. The purpose is that the electorate should know more about the candidates.

The commission said anyone having objection could submit counter affidavits, and those would also be made public.

The candidate will have to make a declaration about his spouse and dependant children’s property.

Naba Nayak, nodal officer for the state electoral office, said the affidavits would be made public after the candidates submitted the forms to their respective returning officers. The affidavits will also be uploaded immediately on the sites of the commission of India and the chief electoral officer of the state.

Nayak said the tourism department had been instructed to withdraw the government vehicle from BJD party secretary and chairman of the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation Narendra Swain for violating the model code of conduct.

Swain had allegedly used the government vehicle to go to Naveen Nivas, the residence of the BJD president. Following complaints, the CEO had sought a report from the tourism secretary.

In a related development, Jagatsinghpur district administration has already initiated a drive to disfranchise nearly 7,000 persons who are facing non-bailable warrants for more than six months period.

Of the registered voters, listed for disfranchisement, nearly 1,400 are from villages of Posco project area. There are more than 200 political activists of both ruling and Opposition parties who are facing non-bailable warrants. “A drive is to nab those who have non-bailable warrants pending against them,” said district superintendent of police Satyabrata Bhoi.

If a non-bailable warrant remains unexecuted for a certain period, the presumption is that the person was not available at his place of residence. Such a person will cease to be a resident of the locality. The Representation of Peoples’ Act provides a provision for disfranchisement of such people, officials added.