Now you can find crucial details about a candidate contesting the Assembly elections — his criminal record and assets/liabilities — in one consolidated format. Information on both these aspects will be part of a single document and will be up on the Election Commission website within 24 hours of it being filed.
Hitherto, these details were in scattered in two separate affidavits. Officials at the office of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) here said that following modification of the format of the affidavit filed in Form 26 appended to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, which came into effect from August 1, 2012, candidates are now required to file only one affidavit (in revised Form 26) with the nomination paper.
Within 24 hours
The affidavits will be up on the commission website within 24 hours of them being filed. They will not be removed even if any candidate withdraws his/her candidature, said the officials. This applies to candidates of recognised and unrecognised political parties, besides independents.
Candidates are required to file six documents: affidavit, certified extract of electoral roll (when candidate is an elector of a different constituency), Forms A and B (applicable in the case of candidates set up by political parties), copy of caste certificate (if the candidate claims to belong to SC/ST), security deposit (whether made) and oath/affirmation (whether taken).
If the candidates have not filed the affidavit and Forms A and B at the time of filing nomination, he or she should have to file it latest by 3 p.m. on the last date of filing nominations (April 17).
Two constituencies
A person is not allowed to be nominated as a candidate from more than two Assembly Constituencies in the State as per Section 33 (7) (b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, officials said.
EC team coming
Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath and other members of the commission will visit the State capital on April 8 and 9 to review he preparedness for the elections to the State Legislative Assembly on May 5.
On April 8, the commission members will hold interactions with the representatives of political parties and hear their grievances. Parties could use the opportunity to give their complaints to the commission, Mr. Jha said.
On April 9, Mr. Sampath and other members will interact with Deputy Commissioners, who are returning officers, and top police officials of the State.
The CEO and Karnataka Media Academy will hold a workshop on April 3 on the “role of media in election reporting”. Issues related to paid news, coverage of elections and enforcement of model code of conduct would be discussed.
