New Delhi, June 28: Complying with a Supreme Court deadline, the Election Commsission today decided to implement its directives on electoral reforms including seeking of criminal antecedents of candidates and prescribed an affidavit to be furnished by candidates along with their nomination papers.

"Every candidate at the time of filing his nomination paper for any election to the council of states, house of the people, legislative assembly of a state or the legislative council of a state having such a council, shall furnish full and complete information... In an affidavit", the commission said in a press note. The Supreme Court`s directives to the commission are to come into force from July 1. The commission rejected a government request seeking extension of the deadline.

Earlier, the government had made it clear that it would not be seeking extension of the deadline as the directions were given to the EC. The Centre has convened an all-party meeting on July 8 to discuss the directions given by the apex court and examine what kind of legislative measures be taken.

The court, to make the electorate aware of a candidates` antecedents, had asked the EC to frame guidelines within two months to make it mandatory for a person contesting parliamentary and assembly elections to give an affidavit with details of criminal cases against him - past and present, assets of himself, his spouse and dependants, liabilities and educational qualifications. Bureau Report