Tamil Nadu Local Bodies (Election of Members to the District Planning Committee) Rules, 1999

What the rules govern

The Tamil Nadu Local Bodies (Election of Members to the District Planning Committee) Rules, 1999 set the election process for ordinary and casual vacancies in District Planning Committees. They were made under the Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act, 1994.

The rules affect elected members of District Panchayats and Town Panchayats, and councillors of Municipal Councils and Municipal Corporations. The supplied text does not create or change individual land ownership, title or registration rights.

Election administration

The Tamil Nadu State Election Commission supervises and controls preparation of voter lists and conduct of elections. It may issue directions to government officers and employees involved in the process and may delegate its powers.

Key responsibilities include:

• The Director of Rural Development, Director of Town Panchayat and Commissioner of Municipal Administration act as State Election Officers for their respective local bodies.
• The District Collector acts as District Election Officer and Registration Officer.
• The District Collector must report vacancies to the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission within one week.
• A State Election Commission nominee, not below the rank of Joint Director or District Revenue Officer, acts as Returning Officer.
• Assistant Returning Officers must be government officers not below the rank of Assistant Director or Deputy Collector.

Voter list

The Tamil Nadu Local Bodies (Election of Members to the District Planning Committee) Rules, 1999 require one voter list for each district. It must include all serving members and councillors of the relevant local bodies.

The list is divided into:

• A rural segment containing the District Panchayat.
• An urban segment containing Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils and Town Panchayats.

A voter list must be prepared before every ordinary or casual election. It must be published at least thirty days before the election notification in the offices of the Registration Officer, Returning Officer and local bodies. Additions, deletions and corrections are permitted before the last date for nominations.

Election programme and nominations

The Tamil Nadu State Election Commission, in consultation with the Government, must publish a notification calling the election. The notification must state nomination, scrutiny, withdrawal, polling, completion and first meeting dates. A casual vacancy must generally be filled within three months, unless the Committee's tenure will expire within that period.

Candidates must use Form-4. A candidate or proposer may deliver the signed nomination to the Returning Officer. The proposer must be a voter from the same section as the candidate.