Programme for general election of MCs issued

By Haryananewswire

CHANDIGARH, MAY 9

 The State Election Commission, Haryana, has issued the programme for the General Election of  Municipal Corporations,  Ambala, Panchkula, Karnal, Panipat, Hisar, Rohtak and Yamuna Nagar, Municipal Committee, Kalanaur (Rohtak) and Farukh Nagar (Gurgaon), bye elections in Ward No. 3 of Municipal Council Narwana, district Jind and Ward No. 7 of Municipal Committee Gharaunda, district Karnal. As per the programme, the poll, if any, will be held on June 2, 2013.

This was informed by the State Election Commissioner, Haryana Mr Dharam Vir   here today.  He said that the Model code of conduct in the area of Municipal Corporation or Committee concerned where the elections will be held will come into force from today. No officer or official connected with the election work will be transferred till the completion of election process, he added.

The State Election Commissioner said that the Returning Officer will publish notice on May 10, 2013 for inviting nominations and nominations papers will be presented from May 16 to 21 from 11 am to 3 pm. During the same period the list of nominations papers received will be posted.  The date by which information will be furnished by the candidate in the format prescribed; to the concerned Returning Officer that he is not suffering from any disqualification will be May 22,  2013  before 11 am. The nominations papers will be scrutinized from 11.30 am onwards on May 22 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature by a candidate will be May 23 between 11 am to 3 pm. Date on which symbol will be allotted to   the contesting candidate will be May 23 after 3 pm. The list of contesting candidates will be posted on May 23 and the list of polling stations will be posted on May 23. The poll, if any, would be held on June 2, 2013 between 8 am and 5 pm. The votes polled will be counted on June 4 from 8 am onwards in the case of Municipal Corporations and in case of Municipal Committees the counting would take place on June 2 after the close of poll. The election result would be declared immediately after the completion of counting, he added.

            Mr Dharam Vir further said that all elections will be conducted with Electronic Voting Machines.   The electoral rolls of the Municipal Corporations in which the election will be held have been published on April 5, 2013 and hosted on the website of the Commission and the District Administration concerned. Any person could check his name on the website of the State Election Commission. For the first time, the Commission has put the information of polling stations using GIS technique. While checking his name, any person could check his polling station where he has to go for poll; list of electors of the polling stations with photograph and without photograph can also be seen and downloaded.

               He said that any person, whose name has not been included in the electoral rolls of Municipal Corporation or Committee finally published on April 5, 2013 and March 30, 2013 respectively, could apply to the Deputy Commissioner, concerned alongwith a fees of Rs.10 in the case of Municipal Corporation and Rs. one in the case of Municipal Council or Committee, not later than four days from the date of publication of election programme.

Mr Dharam Vir said that every elector will be given a voter slip giving detail of polling station etc. so that he or she may easily go to the polling station to cast his or her vote. He informed that one Election Observer and one expenditure observer for each Municipal Corporation and Committee would be appointed for the conduct of free and fair election.

He said that keeping in view criminalization of politics and that persons convicted by court of law for criminal offences are entering into the election fray and contesting elections, the State Election Commission has issued directions in compliance of the orders of the Supreme Court of India to the effect that  a contesting candidate is required to submit in writing his criminal background if any, details of moveable or immoveable assets, educational qualification etc.  Besides, he has also to submit with his nomination paper in the shape of affidavit that he is not suffering from any disqualification as provided in Section 13 A of the Haryana Municipal Act, 1973, Rule 21 of the Haryana Municipal Election Rules, 1978 and Section 8 of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, in respect of elections to Municipal Committee or Corporation.

   He said that the Commission has enhanced the limit of the expenditure that could be incurred by a contesting candidate or his authorised election agents in connection with the election, to Rs.1,75,000 for a member of Municipal Corporation, for the member of Municipal Council it is Rs.75,000 and for the member of Municipal Committee it is Rs 50,000.  The contesting candidates are also required to maintain account of election expenditure and  submit the same within 30 days from the date of declaration of the result of the election to the Deputy Commissioner or with any other officers specified by the Commission, failing which the defaulting candidate will be liable to be disqualified under the Haryana Municipal Election Expenditure (Maintenance and Submission of the Accounts) Order, 2006  for three years from the date of issue of such order, Mr Dharam Vir added.