(1) Immediately after the expiry of the period, within which candidature may be withdrawn under rule 16, the Returning officer shall prepare and publish in Kannada language a list of contesting candidates that is to say candidates who are included in the list of validly nominated candidates and who have not withdrawn their candidature within the said period.
Provided that, the State Election Commission may direct that in any election, the list of contesting candidates may be prepared in a language other than Kannada.
(2) The said list shall contain the names in Kannada alphabetical order and the address of the contesting candidates as given in the nomination paper.
(3) Where a poll becomes necessary, the Returning officer shall consider the choice of symbols expressed by the contesting candidates in their nomination papers and shall allot the symbols in accordance with rule 21.
(4) The allotment of any symbol to a candidate shall be final.
(5) Every candidate or his election agent shall forthwith be informed of the symbol allotted to the candidate and be supplied with a specimen thereof by the Returning officer.
(6) The list of contesting candidates shall be in Form-7.