Panchayat polls: Nomination filing process from today

Bhubaneswar: The process for filing of nomination papers by candidates of different political parties contesting the ensuing panchayat polls will start from today.

Rabindra Nath Sahu, secretary, State Election Commission, said “Nomination filing starts from 11 am to 3 pm on January 11 and the process will continue till January to 17. Scrutiny of the papers will be done on January 18.”

Withdrawal of nomination is allowed till 3 pm on January 21 and the final list of candidate names will be out after that.

Sahu added, “Nominations for sarpanch and ward member polls will be received by an extension officer engaged at gram panchayat headquarters while a Block Development Officer (BDO) will collect papers of candidates for panchayat samiti polls.”

Also read: SEC announces schedule for Panchayat polls

A Sub-collector, ADM or PD, DRDA will receive nomination papers for zilla parishad polls at sub division or district level, he added.

Notably, the panchayat polls will be held in the State in five phases: February 13, 15, 17, 19 and 21.