(1) For every constituency, for every election to fill a seat or seats in a Panchayat or a Municipality, the Election Commission shall, in consultation with the State Government, designate or nominate an officer of the State Government or District Electoral Officer.
Electoral Registration Officer.
Returning Officer.
of a local authority as a Returning Officer or one or more Assistant Returning Officers:
Provided that the Election Commission may designate or nominate the same person to be the Returning Officer or Assistant Returning Officer for more than one constituency.
(2) Every Assistant Returning Officer shall, subject to the control of the Returning Officer, be competent to perform all or any of the functions of the Returning Officer:
Provided that no Assistant Returning Officer shall perform any of the functions of the Returning Officer which relate to the scrutiny of nominations, unless the Returning Officer is unavoidably prevented from performing such functions and it is necessary in the public interest to perform such functions.
17. Reference in this Act to the Returning Officer shall, unless the context otherwise requires, be deemed to include an Assistant Returning Officer performing any function which he is authorised to perform under section 16.
18. It shall be the general duty of the Returning Officer at any election to do all such acts and things, as may be necessary for effectually conducting the election in the manner provided under this Act and the rules or orders made thereunder.
19. The District Electoral Officer shall, with the previous approval of the Election Commission, provide a sufficient number of polling stations for every constituency, the whole or greater part of which lies within his jurisdiction, and shall publish in such manner, as the Election Commission may direct, a list showing the polling stations so provided and the polling areas or groups of voters for which they have respectively been provided.