Presidential election on July 14

The election to the Presidency will be held on July 14. President Dr Shanker Dayal Sharma's term expires on July 24.

Chief Election Commissioner Dr M S Gill announced on Thursday that the notification of the election will be issued on June 9.

THE SCHEDULE
Issue of notification Last date of nominations Scrutiny of nominations Last date of withdrawal Date of poll, if necessary Counting, if required	June 9 June 23 June 24 June 26 July 14 July 17

The last date for filing nominations for the election will be June 20 and the scrutiny conducted on June 24. The last date for withdrawal of nominations will be June 26 and counting will be taken up on July 17.

Dr Gill said the elected members of all the legislative assemblies, including those of the national capital territory of Delhi and the Union territory of Pondicherry, had been placed in the electoral college for the Presidential election. Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha and the legislative assemblies are not eligible to cast votes, he said.

The Commission has decided to appoint S Gopalan, secretary general of the Lok Sabha, as returning officer for the election.

Dr Gill said it had been decided to appoint assistant returning officers in all the state capitals to make arrangements for conducting the polls and later to ensure safe transportation of the ballot boxes and other important documents to the Commission.

The Commission will appoint 29 senior officers of the central government to function as observers to ensure free and fair polling. The chief electoral officers of the states would supervise and coordinate with the assistant returning officers the arrangements for conduct of poll in the state capitals and transportation and other important documents to and from the Election Commission.