5EScrutiny of nominations

¹[5E. Scrutiny of nominations.-- (1) On the date fixed for the scrutiny of nominations under sub-section (1) of section 4, the candidates, one proposer or one seconder of each candidate and one other person duly authorised in writing by each candidate, but no other person, shall be entitled to be present at the time of scrutiny of nominations and the Returning Officer shall give them all reasonable facilities for examining the nomination papers of all candidates which have not been rejected under sub-section (4) of section 5B.

(2) For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that it shall not be necessary to scrutinise on the date fixed for the scrutiny of nominations the nomination papers already rejected under sub-section (4) of section 5B.

(3) The Returning Officer shall then examine the nomination papers and shall decide all objections which may be made to any nomination paper and may either on such objection or on his own motion, after such summary inquiry if any, as he thinks necessary, reject any nomination on any of the following grounds:--

(a) that, on the date fixed for the scrutiny of nominations, the candidate is not eligible for election as President or Vice-President, as the case may be, under the Constitution; or

(b) that any of the proposers or seconders is not qualified to subscribe a nomination paper under sub-section (1) of section 5B; or

(c) that the nomination paper is not subscribed by the required number of proposers or seconders; or

(d) that the signature of the candidate or any of the proposers or seconders is not genuine or has been obtained by fraud; or

(e) that there has been a failure to comply with any of the provisions of section 5B or section 5C.

(4) Nothing contained in clauses (b) to (e) of sub-section (3) shall be deemed to authorise the rejection of the nomination of any candidate on the ground of any irregularity in respect of a nomination paper, if the candidate has been duly nominated by means of another nomination paper in respect of which no irregularity has been committed.

(5) The Returning Officer shall not reject any nomination paper on the ground of any defect which is not of a substantial character.

(6) The Returning Officer shall hold the scrutiny on the date appointed in this behalf under clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 4 and shall not allow any adjournment of the proceedings except when such proceedings are interrupted or obstructed by riot or open violence or by causes beyond his control:

Provided that in case an objection is raised by the Returning Officer or is made by any other person the candidate concerned may be allowed time to rebut it not later than the next day but one following the date fixed for scrutiny, and the Returning Officer shall record his decision on the date to which the proceedings have been adjourned.

(7) The Returning Officer shall endorse on each nomination paper his decision accepting or rejecting the same and if the nomination paper is rejected, shall record in writing a brief statement of his reasons for such rejection.

(8) For the purposes of this section, a certified copy of an entry in the electoral roll for the time being in force shall be conclusive evidence of the fact that the person referred to in that entry is an elector for that constituency, unless it is proved that he is subject to any of the disqualifications mentioned in section 16 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (43 of 1950).]