Twenty-nine nominations were received in Kerala on the first day after the assembly elections were notified in the state respectively on behalf of the Governor and the Election Commission.
There will be no filing today (being a bank holiday) and tomorrow (Sunday). This leaves another five days for an estimated 420 party candidates of various fronts, independents and other party candidates to file in.
April 29 is the last date of filing the papers. Scrutiny will take place on the very next day (April 30). Withdrawals can be effected until May 2. Polling is on May 16; results will be declared on May 19.
According to sources, on the first day on Friday, the most number of nominations papers (seven each) were filed in Thiruvananthapuram and Kottayam districts.
Kasaragode came in second with four; Kollam, three; Alappauzha, Thrissur and Palakkad, three; and Pathanamthitta and Kozhikode, one each, official sources said.
The nomination papers can be filed before the returning officers between 11 am and 3 pm on all days. Only five persons, including the candidate, will be allowed into the room.
A candidate will have to submit the usual affidavit stating criminal antecedents, if any, assets and liabilities and educational qualifications.
Affidavits required
He or she will also have to a separate affidavit stating whether he/she has enjoyed the benefit of accommodation provided by the government.
With the filing of the papers, all campaign expenditures incurred by the candidate will be subjected to the close scrutiny of the Election Commission.
Among the prominent candidates who filed papers on the first day included state BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan and Congress leader K Muraleedharan (Vattiyoorkavu in Thiruvananthapuram); former state BJP president V Muraleedharan and CPM leader Kadakampally Surendran (Kazhakkottam, Thiruvananthapuram); Congress leaders Padmaja Venugopal (Thrissur) and Rajmohan Unnithan (Kundara, Kollam).