The Hindu 28.09.2010
35 file papers for civic polls
Staff Reporter
| District to have 3,533 polling stations in 2,400 centres |
Kochi Corporation to have 349 polling stations
Aluva municipality has only 26 polling stations
KOCHI: Filing of nominations began in the district with the issue of notification of elections to the local bodies on Monday.
On the first day, 35 nominations were filed by candidates contesting the district panchayat, municipalities, and grama panchayat wards. No nominations were filed in the Corporation and 14 block panchayats.
An independent candidate contesting from Nedumbassery, the 26th division of the district panchayat, filed his nomination. Out of the 11 municipalities, one independent candidate each filed nomination at Thripunithura and Kothamangalam.
Nominations were also filed in the wards at Chottanikkara, Pindimana, Ayyampuzha, Kalady, Ashamanoor, Kuttampuzha, and Mazhuvanoor out the 84 grama panchayats. Twenty-five nominations were filed at Chottanikkara. Two nominations were filed at Pindimana, while one each was filed at the rest of the places.
The district will have 3,533 polling stations spread over 2,400 centres in the coming elections.
There will be 2,776 polling stations in over 1,784 centres in the 84 grama panchayats. For the 12 municipalities, including the Corporation, 757 polling stations will be set up in over 616 centres. Kochi Corporation will have the most number of polling stations – 349 in over 283 centres. Aluva municipality has the least number of polling stations – 26 in 21 centres. Thripunithura municipality has 49 polling stations in 44 centres.
Muvattupuzha (28 polling stations in 26 centres), Kothamangalam (31 in 31 centres), Perumbavur (27 in 26 centres), Kalamassery (43 polling stations), North Paravur (29 in 28 centres), Angamaly (30 in 24 centres), Eloor (31 in 21 centres) Thrikkakara (43 in 43 centres) and Maradu (33 in 19 centres) make up the rest of the list of municipalities.
People facing revenue recovery proceedings on account of arrears due to the government or local body cannot contest the elections.
The State Election Commission had prohibited panchayat members, candidates and political party workers from giving directions to the panchayat secretaries in connection with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme stating that it would attract action against them on account of breach of model code of conduct.
The Commission, however, said that the model code of conduct would not affect the execution of work allocated under the programme.
