The Hindu 05.10.2010
Scrutiny of nomination papers to be conducted today
Staff Reporter
| Total number of candidates in the district is 11,769 |
KOCHI: On the last day of filing nominations, 4,821 candidates filed their papers, taking the total number of candidates in the district to 11,769.
The scrutiny of nominations filed will be conducted on Tuesday. The nominations can be withdrawn up to 3 p.m. on Thursday.
Those who filed their nominations on Monday included 3,027 for grama panchayats, 201 for the Kochi Corporation, 119 for the district panchayat, 769 for block panchayats and 703 for the various municipalities.
In a related development, the defacement squad confiscated and destroyed 218 campaign materials from different taluks on Monday. As many as 26 cases were registered against different parties in this connection and 11 boards, 124 banners, 25 flex boards, 31 metre hangings and 27 posters were removed during the drive.
There are 116 returning officers for the 111 local bodies in the district. While the Kochi Corporation has three returning officers, Thripunithura, Thrikkakara and Kalamassery municipalities have two each.
At the time of scrutiny, only the candidates, their election agent, one of the persons who had nominated the candidate, and another person authorised by the candidate would be permitted inside the office of the returning officer.
The permitted persons can examine any of the nominations if they want.
Thereafter, the returning officer will closely scrutinise each nomination. If more than one set of nominations has been submitted for a candidate, then all of them would be taken together and examined separately.
Printing of ballots
If there is any mistake in one set of nominations, the correct information from other nominations could be taken. Even if one set of nominations of a candidate were to be found correct, the other nominations too will have to be scrutinised. The candidate must examine and ensure the veracity of each nomination even if there is no objection regarding any of the nominations. If an objection is raised about a nomination, an inquiry should be conducted into the same and an order issued declaring whether it is valid or invalid. One crore ballots will be printed at the Government Press at Kakkanad for Ernakulam and Thrissur districts. Ballots for the village and block panchayats too will be printed here.
Press superintendent C.A. Ibrahim said that 3,000 reams of paper had been readied for the purpose.
Two hundred and fifty workers will work in two shifts round-the-clock for completing the printing in 10 days.
