The Election Commission today directed all the states and Union Territories to ensure time-bound issuance of ‘No Dues Certificate’ to intending candidates to be included in their affidavits. In a letter to the chief secretaries of all the states and union territories, the EC emphasized the importance of filing nomination papers along with an affidavit for all the candidates. The EC said the affidavit must be fully completed without leaving any column blank. It further specified that no dues certificate has to be submitted to the returning officer along with the affidavit by 3 PM on the last date of making nominations in the constituency concerned. The EC said if the candidate fails to provide a ‘No Dues Certificate’, it will go against their candidature at the time of scrutiny of nominations.