The elections scheduled for February 21 will be the first polls to an urban local body with a ceiling on expenditure by the candidates. As per amendments made to the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Elections) Rules 2009, the poll expense of each candidate cannot exceed Rs 5 lakh.
The new rules even empower the State Election Commission (SEC) to disqualify a candidate if it finds that he or she has failed to submit the account of expenses within the time and in the manner prescribed. The expenditure registers should be produced to any officer for inspection authorised by the SEC at any time. The Commission has appointed 28 observers for the purpose.
SEC secretary D K Ravindranath said as many as 53 returning officers have been appointed for the polls. Assistant Returning Officers have been appointed for each of the 198 BBMP wards. This is the first BBMP election in which electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used. He added eligible voters can get themselves enrolled in the voters’ list by submitting applications at the ward office. While as per rules eligible voters could be included in the electoral list till the last date for filing nominations (February 8), the process is likely to be closed by January 28.
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