Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 13 (NationPress) Starting from Friday, candidates aiming to participate in the forthcoming local body elections in Kerala are invited to submit their nominations, as per the schedule revealed by the State Election Commission on Thursday.

The elections will be conducted in two phases, with the initial phase slated for December 9 and the subsequent phase on December 11, followed by the vote counting on December 13.

Nominations can be filed daily between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.. The deadline for nomination submissions is set for November 21, with the scrutiny of documents taking place on November 22. Candidates have the option to withdraw their nominations until November 24.

The security deposit required varies based on the local body level; for gram panchayat seats, a deposit of Rs 2,000 is necessary, while block panchayats and municipalities require Rs 4,000, and for district panchayats and corporations, it is Rs 5,000.

Candidates from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are only required to pay half of the specified amount.

To qualify, a candidate must be a minimum of 21 years old at the time of nomination.

For candidates contesting in reserved wards for the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes, a community certificate from an authorized body must be presented.

Nomination forms should be filled out correctly and signed in the presence of the Returning Officer or a designated officer from the Commission, after taking an oath or affirmation as per electoral guidelines.

On the day of nomination, candidates are allowed to have only three accompanying vehicles within a 100-metre vicinity of the Returning Officer’s office.

Furthermore, only a maximum of five individuals, including the candidate, can enter the Returning Officer’s room during the nomination submission.

The Election Commission has issued a comprehensive guideline detailing the eligibility and disqualification criteria for candidates running in the local body elections.