MP Hikes Security Deposit, Mandates Bank Account For Urban Poll Candidates

The Madhya Pradesh government has amended the rules for urban body elections ahead of the municipal polls proposed for next year, increasing the security deposit for candidates and making a separate bank account mandatory for election expenditure.

In Bhopal, the Urban Development and Housing Department has issued a notification amending the Madhya Pradesh Municipality Election Rules, 1994. The changes apply to the election process for the posts of mayor, chairperson and councillor in urban bodies across the state.

Under the amended rules, candidates contesting for the posts of mayor, chairperson and councillor will now have to deposit a higher security amount. The rules also change the timeline for filing nominations and the process for maintaining accounts of election-related expenses.

According to the revised rules, the security deposit for a Nagar Parishad councillor has been fixed at ₹1,600. For a Nagar Palika Parishad councillor, the amount will be ₹4,800. For a Municipal Corporation councillor, the security deposit has been fixed at ₹8,000.

For the post of Nagar Parishad chairperson, the security deposit will be ₹16,000. For the post of Nagar Palika Parishad chairperson, the amount has been fixed at ₹24,000. For the post of Municipal Corporation mayor, the security deposit will be ₹32,000.

The notification also provides relief for certain categories of candidates. Women candidates, and candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes, will have to deposit half of the prescribed security amount.

The amended rules also lay down a minimum period for filing nominations. After the notice of the last date, time and place for filing nominations is published, the seventh day will be treated as the last date for filing nominations. This means the period available for nomination will not be less than seven days.

If the seventh day falls on a public holiday, the next working day will be treated as the last date for submitting nomination papers.

The rules also clarify the position on multiple nomination papers for the same post. If a candidate submits two or more nomination papers for one post, more than one nomination will not be accepted. The election officer will not accept the additional nomination paper.

Another major change relates to election expenditure. Candidates contesting for the posts of mayor, chairperson and councillor will have to open a separate bank account for election expenses.

The candidates will also be required to prepare the account of election expenditure and submit it as per the prescribed process. The amended framework therefore covers security deposits, nomination timelines, acceptance of nomination papers and the accounting of campaign spending for the upcoming urban body elections in Madhya Pradesh.