Hyderabad, Nov 3: The process for the general elections to the Telangana Assembly commenced on Friday with the issuance of gazette notifications. This marks the initiation of the nomination filing process for the elections scheduled for November 30, in which 119 Assembly seats are up for grabs.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) published a notification outlining the schedule for various stages of the election process. Returning Officers (ROs) in all constituencies have issued public notices in Form-1, specifying the details of Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) responsible for receiving nominations and the location for submission.
Nominations will be accepted on all working days from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. until November 10 at the Returning Officer’s office in each of the 119 constituencies. The scrutiny of nominations will take place on November 13, and the deadline for withdrawal of nominations is November 15. Polling is scheduled for November 30, with vote counting set for December 3.
The state of Telangana is poised for a three-way competition among the incumbent Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the opposition Congress, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BRS has already announced candidates for 116 constituencies and is leading in the campaign efforts. The Congress party has declared 100 candidates and is actively campaigning.
The BJP has unveiled 88 names in three lists, and there is uncertainty regarding whether the BJP will form an alliance with the Jana Sena Party (JSP) led by actor Pawan Kalyan, a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The CPI(M) has announced that it will contest independently after the Congress party did not allocate the two seats it had requested. The CPI has decided to wait for a couple of days for a response from the Congress.
Meanwhile, the State Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj has confirmed that all necessary arrangements have been made in the offices of the returning officers to receive nominations.
In accordance with orders from the election authorities, only three vehicles will be permitted in a candidate’s convoy within 100 meters of the RO’s office during the nomination filing. A maximum of five individuals, including the candidates, will be allowed inside the RO’s room.
In addition to their nomination papers, each candidate must submit an affidavit in Form-26, disclosing information about their criminal background, assets, liabilities, and educational qualifications.
At least one day prior to submitting their nominations, each candidate is required to open a separate bank account to monitor their election expenditures. The ECI’s Suvidha Portal provides an online nomination facility, with the signed hard copy to be submitted to the RO.
After 3 p.m. each day, the RO will publish a list of nominations filed. Copies of nominations and affidavits will be displayed on the notice board of the RO’s office on the same day.
The affidavits filed by candidates must be uploaded on the ECI website within 24 hours and will also be displayed on the CEO’s website.
