Ahmedabad, Nov 23: Over 3.28 crore voters in Gujarat would now know the "criminal involvement and history" of candidates prior to exercising their franchise for the December 12 assembly polls.
According to the changes made to the electoral law, "the candidate contesting the polls will have to explicitly mention the details whether in the past he has been issued any chargesheet by the competent court for a crime or has been sentenced to imprisonment for two or more years." The new law has made it mandatory for the contestants to attach an affidavit regarding this with their nomination papers, an official release said here today.

The EC, in its directives to the returning officers, has asked them to exhibit on notice board a copy of the affidavits submitted by candidates for information of the voters of concerned constituency and even give copies to any individual on request, by accepting standard charges, the release added.
In all 3,28,89,615 voters including 1,59,95,725 women of the state would exercise their franchise for the 182 assembly seats.

Bureau Report