The process of Vice-Presidential election got underway today with the publication of Gazette notification.  As per the notification calling the Election, the Election Commission has appointed the following dates for the Vice-Presidential Election: -

The 23rd July, 2007 (Monday), as the last date for making nominations, the 24th July, 2007 (Tuesday), as the date for scrutiny of nominations, the 26th July, 2007 (Thursday), as the last date for withdrawal of candidatures and the 10th August, 2007 (Friday), as the date on which a poll shall, if necessary, be taken.

As required under rule 3 of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Rules, 1974 the Returning Officer has today notified that-

(i)  nomination papers may be delivered by a candidate or any one of his proposers or seconders to the Returning Officer at his office in Room No.29, Ground Floor, Parliament House, New Delhi, or if he is unavoidably absent, to the Assistant Returning Officers, between 11 A.M. and 3 P.M. on any day (other than a public holiday) not later than the 23rd July, 2007;

(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 time 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 Tuesday, the 24th July, 2007 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  26th July, 2007;

(vii)  in the event of the election being contested, the poll will be taken on Friday, the 10th August, 2007 between the hours of 10 A.M. and 5 P.M. at the place of polling fixed under the rules.

The Commission vide separate Notifications issued on the 6th July, 2007, has appointed Dr. Yogendra Narain, Secretary-General, Rajya Sabha, as the Returning Officer for the Vice-Presidential Election and Shri N. C. Joshi, Additional Secretary and Shri Ravi Kant Chopra, Joint Secretary and Financial Advisor, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, as the assistant Returning Officers. 

Arrangements have also been made for simultaneous publication of these Notifications and the Public Notice issued by the Returning Officer in Official Gazettes of all the States/Union Territories.