New Delhi, March 24 (IANS) The filing of nominations for the upcoming Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry, along with bypolls in four states, ended on Monday, with over 4,000 nominations submitted, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said.
A total of 4,019 nominations were filed across the three poll-bound states, with 2,511 candidates in the fray.
Kerala saw the highest number, with 2,117 nominations and 1,252 candidates, followed by Assam with 1,388 nominations and 817 candidates. Puducherry recorded 514 nominations and 442 candidates.
In the by-elections, 106 nominations were filed for five Assembly constituencies across Goa, Karnataka, Nagaland and Tripura, with 73 candidates in the fray. Karnataka recorded the highest activity, with 71 nominations for two seats.
Polling for these seats will be held on April 9, while the last date for filing nominations was March 23.
The Election Commission said scrutiny of nomination papers will be taken up on March 24, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is March 26 till 3 p.m.
As per election rules, candidates are required to submit an affidavit in Form 26 along with their nomination papers, disclosing details of criminal cases, assets and liabilities, educational qualifications and their official social media handles.
Candidates with criminal antecedents must also publicise these details in newspapers and through television channels on three separate occasions during the campaign period.
The Election Commission had announced the poll schedule for Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, along with bye-elections in six states, on March 15.
Besides, Assembly elections will also be held in two phases in the state of West Bengal next month -- on April 23 and April 29.
The results will be announced on May 4.
Also, on March 15, the ECI enforced the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) soon after announcing the schedule for Assembly elections, imposing curbs on the release of funds under MLA and MP local area development schemes and directing the removal of ministers’ photographs from official websites.
Apart from Kerala, West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, which are heading for Assembly elections between April 9 and April 23, the ECI also issued MCC enforcement directives to six states where by-elections will be held for eight Assembly seats during this period.
In identical letters to the Union Cabinet Secretary and the Chief Secretaries of the poll-bound states, the ECI sought immediate implementation of MCC provisions related to the prevention of defacement of private and public property, misuse of public spaces, misuse of official vehicles, advertisements at the cost of the public exchequer, and removal of photographs of political functionaries from official websites.
--IANS
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