(1) On or before the last date for making nominations appointed under rule 18, each candidate shall either in person or by his proposer, deliver to the Returning Officer during the time and at the place specified in the programme declared under the said rule, a nomination paper completed as provided by rule 20, and signed by the candidate and by two voters of his constituency, one of whom shall be a proposer and the other seconder.
(2) On the presentation of a nomination paper, the Returning Officer shall satisfy himself that the names and the numbers of the candidates and his proposer and seconder as are entered in the nomination paper are the same as those entered in the list of voters excepting in the case of nomination paper presented under the provisions of sub-section (3) of section 73B for reserved constituency, the candidate shall attach the attested copy of the list of existing committee members to which he represents. If a nomination paper is rejected under this rule, the Returning Officer shall record thereon his reasons for rejecting the same :
Provided that, the Returning Officer shall permit any clerical or technical error in the nomination paper in regard to the said names or numbers to be corrected in order to bring them into conformity with the corresponding entries in the list of voters and where necessary, any clerical or printing error in the said entries shall be overlooked.
(3) Any person who is not subject to any disqualification as a voter under the Act, these rules or bye-laws and whose name is entered in the list of voters for the constituency, for which the candidate is nominated, may subscribe as proposer and seconder :
Provided that, the nomination paper shall be accompanied by an affidavit , specified by SCEA, mentioning the candidate is not disqualified under section 73CA of the Act and the attested copies of caste certificates.
(4) In the case of a reserved seat under the provisions of section 73B, a candidate shall not be deemed to be qualified to be chosen to fill the seats unless the nomination paper is accompanied with a declaration required under section 73B.
(5) On receiving nomination paper under sub-rule (1), the Returning Officer shall write or cause to be written on the nomination paper its serial number, and shall sign or cause to be signed thereon a certificate stating the date on which and exact time at which the application was delivered to him.