Additional District Election Officer (ADEO)-cum-Additional Deputy Commissioner (J) Rohit Gupta on Sunday chaired a meeting with representatives of various political parties at the local Bachat Bhawan to brief them about the process of filing nomination papers for the Ludhiana West by-election in compliance with the Election Commission of India (ECI) guidelines.
Gupta said that as per the programme issued for the by-election, the notification of the by-election will be issued on May 26 (Monday). The last date for filing nominations is June 2 and the scrutiny of nomination papers will be done on June 3 while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is June 5. Polling will be held on June 19 from 7 am to 6 pm and counting will be done on June 23.
Nominations will be accepted from 11 am to 3 pm. Only five persons including the candidate will be allowed during the nomination. Candidates should be voters of any constituency in the state. The security deposit for general category candidates is Rs 10,000 and for SC/ST candidates Rs 5,000 which is to be deposited before or during filing of nomination. The nomination form should be accompanied by a copy of the certified voters list which is mandatory for candidates from outside Ludhiana. Recognized parties require one proposer, while independent and unrecognized parties require ten. Candidates should submit a recent passport-size photograph (not more than three months old, white background no uniform). Political parties and candidates are also required to publish the criminal antecedents of the candidates three times in newspapers in two different languages. Gupta appealed to all parties to cooperate for a peaceful and fair election process.
Meeting with hotel and marriage palace owners: Monitoring of bookings
In a separate meeting, Gupta directed the owners of hotels and marriage palaces coming under the jurisdiction of Ludhiana West Vidhan Sabha to submit daily booking reports to the election office. The aim is to monitor political activities during the Model Code of Conduct period. The owners should inform the administration about the incidents in advance and take necessary permissions to ensure transparency and compliance.
24×7 surveillance of liquor vends
In another meeting, Gupta ordered 24×7 CCTV surveillance of breweries, bottling plants, warehouses and godowns to check unauthorized liquor distribution. He stressed on constant surveillance of liquor vends and thorough inspection of vacant houses, plots and flats near these facilities which could be used for illicit liquor storage. These measures are aimed at maintaining strict control over the movement of liquor during the election period.
Gupta reiterated the district administration’s commitment to promote a transparent and fair election process and uphold the guidelines of the Election Commission. He sought cooperation from all stakeholders for the smooth and peaceful conduct of the by-election.
