By a notification published in the Gazette of India Extraordinary today (the 4th of July, 2017), the Election Commission has fixed the following schedule for the Vice-Presidential Elections, 2017:
(a) July 18, 2017, as the last date for making nominations;
(b) July 19, 2017, as the date for the security of nominations;
(c) July 21, 2017, as the last date for the withdrawal of candidates; and
(d) August 5, 2017, as the date on which a poll shall, if necessary, be taken.
The Commission vide separate Notification issued on the 1st of July, 2017 has appointed Shri Shumsher K. Sheriff, Secretary-General, Rajya Sabha, as the Returning Officer for the Vice-Presidential Election, 2017 and Shri Mukul Pande, Additional Secretary and Shri Rohtas, Joint Secretary, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, as the Assistant Returning Officers.
As required under Rule 3 of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Rules, 1974, the Returning Officer has by a Public Notice notified today, the 4th of July, 2017 that:
i. nomination papers may be delivered by a candidate or any one of his proposers or seconders to the undersigned at his office in Room No. 29, Ground Floor, Parliament House, New Delhi, or if he is unavoidably absent, to the Assistant Returning Officers, Shri Mukul Pande, Joint Secretary or Shri Rohtas, Joint Secretary, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, at the said office between 11 A.M. and 3 P.M. on any day (other than a public holiday) not later than the 18th July, 2017;
ii. each nomination paper shall be accompanied by a certified copy of the entry relating to the candidate in the electoral roll for the Parliamentary constituency in which the candidate is registered as an elector;
iii. every candidate shall deposit or cause to be deposited a sum of rupees fifteen thousand only. This amount may be deposited in cash with the Returning Officer at the time of presentation of the nomination paper or deposited earlier in the Reserve Bank of India or in a Government Treasury and in the latter case a receipt showing that the said deposit of the sum has been so made is required to be enclosed with the nomination paper;
iv. forms of nomination papers may be obtained from the above said office at the times aforesaid;
v. the nomination papers, other than those rejected under sub-section (4) of Section 5B of the Act, will be taken up for scrutiny at the said office in Room No. 29, Ground Floor, Parliament House, New Delhi on Wednesday, the 19th of July, 2017, at 11 A.M.;
vi. the notice of withdrawal of candidatures may be delivered by a candidate, or any one of his proposers or seconders who has been authorized in this behalf in writing by the candidate, to the undersigned at the place specified in paragraph (i) above before three o’clock in the afternoon of the 21st July, 2017;
vii. In the event of the election being contested, the poll will be taken on Saturday, the 05th August, 2017 between the hours of 10 A.M. and 5 P.M. at the place of polling fixed under the rules.
Arrangements have also been made for simultaneous re-publication of these Notifications and the Public Notice issued by the Returning Officer in the Official Gazette of all the States/Union Territories.
For any queries regarding the election process, Shri Shumsher K. Sheriff, the Returning Officer for the Vice-Presidential Election, 2017 and Secretary-General, Rajya Sabha may be contacted in his office (Room No. 29, Ground Floor, Parliament House, New Delhi) between 3.30 P.M. and 4.30 P.M. on all working days (other than public holidays) including Saturday i.e. 15th July, 2017, falling within the period of filing of Nomination Papers.
Office of the Returning Officer for Vice-Presidential Election 2017 and Secretary-General, Rajya Sabha
