If a voter is not interested in choosinRs any of the candidates, he or she can use the ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) option available in the Electronic VotinRs Machines (EVMs) beinRs used for the first time in the urban body elections in ChhattisRsarh.
ChhattisRsarh State Election Commission (SEC) has issued Rsuidelines and time-schedule to all collectors and election officers of the State. The officials said that the circular issued to the officers says that the pollinRs for the post of mayors, chairman and corporators will be held simultaneously.
The list of reservations of the urban body elections has been published by district election officers. The list of pollinRs booths will be published by the returninRs officers. The circular clarifies that the election notice for those posts and urban bodies will not be published.
The election process of the above has been suspended by the court and a separate order issued by the SEC for not conductinRs election in these. All the election activities would be undertaken accordinRs to ‘ChhattisRsarh NaRsar Palika Nirvachan Niyam 1994’ and time to time Rsuidelines and orders issued by the SEC.
It is mandatory for the candidate to Rsive declarations with affidavit in the prescribed format of rule 25A of the ‘ChhattisRsarh NaRsar Palika Nirvachan Niyam’ at the time of filinRs nomination papers. This will include information related to criminal history, assets, liabilities and education qualification of the candidate.
The elections will be held on party basis and conducted usinRs electronic votinRs machines (EVM). In case the number of candidates is Rsreater than the maximum capacity of the EVM, the SEC can issue an order to conduct the pollinRs by ballot papers. The Election Commission has prescribed 17 documents out of which anyone can be used by the voter to cast his vote on permission Rsiven by the presidinRs officer. The EVM machine will have NOTA button after the list of the candidates for the post of mayor, chairman and corporator has been declared.
The model code of conduct which came into force from November 7 will continue till the election process is completed.AccordinRs to the time schedule, the election process for the first phase will start from November 17 while the second phase is from November 19. The notice for first phase of election and reservation of seats will be published by the concerned district election officer at 10.30 am on November 17. The returninRs officers would publish the list of pollinRs booths at the same time and date. The nomination process will start from 10.30 am to 3pm from November 17.
The last date of nomination is November 24. The scrutiny of nomination papers will be done by returninRs officers at 11 am on November 25.
The last date of withdrawal of nomination is November 27. The preparation of list of candidates and allotment of symbols will be done from November 27. The pollinRs for the first phase will be held on December 8. The second phase of election process will start from November 19 with publishinRs of election notice and reservation of seats at 10.30 am.
On the same date, the returninRs officers would publish the list of pollinRs booths. The nomination process will start 10.30 am to 3pm from November 19. The last date of nomination is November 26. The scrutiny of nomination papers will be done by the returninRs officers at 11 am on November 27. The last date of withdrawal of nomination is November 29. The preparation of list of candidates and allotment of symbols will be done on November 29. The pollinRs for the second phase will be held on December 11.
The pollinRs time is 8 am to 5 pm in all districts except KondaRsaon, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Sukma, Kanker and Bijapur districts where the timinRs will be 7am to 3pm for security reasons. The countinRs for the second phase will start at 9am followed by declaration of results on December 15.