This election is certainly not like the previous polls. In the past the candidates could get away with anything.

Irrespective of their ill gotten  wealth and criminal records they would go unaccounted for and would easily get through at the hustings. But this election has made them feel the pinch. The aspirants for the Sept 28 elections to the 208 urban local bodies of the State including seven city municipal corporations are virtually sweating it  out due to the compulsory disclosure of their assets and liabilities besides their criminal record.

Several of the candidates have found it very difficult to meet the mandatory requirements of disclosing everything about their assets and liabilities and all the details about their criminal background. They are required to furnish all these details under an oath from a prescribed competent authority. Disclosure is not for the sake of disclosure. They run the risk of facing trouble in future if they have disclosed wrong or incomplete information or suppressed anything.

After the introduction of the specific clause of disclosure of property and crime for the 2004 general elections, the same has been extended down the line for the grass roots democratic institutions. In the taluk and zilla panchayat elections held a couple of years ago, the clause was introduced and now for the first time it is followed in the urban local body elections.

The only consolation for ULB candidates is that they have been exempted from the election expenditure limit, whereas their counterparts in the taluk and zilla panchayat elections do face it.

After the elections all the candidates of TP and ZP elections are required to submit detailed statement of accounts. A number of candidates have already been disqualified by the State Election Commission (SEC) for not submitting expenditure accounts.

The disclosure of criminal background of a candidate  is certainly a trying one, as it seeks all the minute details.
Filing of chargesheet and issue of FIR six months prior to the date of filing  nomination also come under the ambit. All those criminal offenses which warrant imprisonment of two years and more should to be disclosed. Property disclosure is still cumbersome. All moveable property including hard cash, investments, deposits, vehicles, jewellry, etc come under it.

All the jewellry held by the candidate and his dependents including its weight and value needs to be revealed. The immovable property include land, sites, along with their survey numbers and prevailing market value and non-agriculture land, building, shopping stalls, home, apartment etc.

The candidates are required to make these disclosure on a Rs 20 stamp paper under the oath of any of the five designated competent authorities; First Class Magistrate, Notary, Oath Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner of Revenue Sub -Division and tahsildars.