The State Election Commission has asserted that it is not mandatory for the political parties for submission of Form-A through which they can authorise a party functionary to set up its party candidate in a district or in any area of the district to the returning officers concerned.
Form-A should be submitted to the designated authorities, district collector and district election authority or returning officer concerned, before the closure of last date for filing of nominations. “It (non-submission) shall not be ground for rejection of nomination by the returning officers,” the SEC said.
While Form-A is related to political parties authorising a party functionary to set up candidates, the party president or general secretary could directly set up the candidate and send details to the returning officers concerned in Form-B.
The SEC expressed concern that staff in district collectorates were not accepting Form-A submitted by the political parties and wherever they were accepted, copies of these forms with endorsement were not being sent to the returning officers concerned. These copies should reach the returning officers concerned before the expiry of last date for withdrawal of nominations.
SEC secretary M. Ashok Kumar said it had also come to the notice of the Commission that authorities were insisting on submission of both Form-A and Form-B which was not in consonance with the instructions issued by the SEC. He wanted the election authorities concerned to scrupulously follow the instructions in order to eliminate scope for any complaints from the political parties.
