Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
Chapters XVII-A & XVII-B inserted by Act No.28 of 2005. Application of Chapter. Accounts of election expenses. [Act No. II of 1956] 421 distinguishable from its election campaign, for the promotion or procuring the election of a particular candidate), by words, either written or spoken, or by signs or visible representations, or by audiovisual devises, or through print or electronic media or otherwise, shall not constitute ‗election expenses‘ for purposes of this Act. Explanation-II:- (1) For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that any expenses incurred in respect of any arrangements made, facilities provided or any other act or thing done by any person in the service of the Government and belonging to any of the classes mentioned in clause (9) of section 17 (1) (B) in the discharge or purported discharge of his official duty as mentioned in the proviso to that clause shall not be deemed to be expenses in connection with the election incurred or authorized by a candidate or by his election agent for the purposes of this sub-section. (2) The account of election expenses shall contain such particulars, as may by order, be specified by the State Election Commission. (3) The total of the said expenses shall not exceed such amount, as may by order, be specified by the State Election Commission. 617 C. Every contesting candidate at an election shall, within forty five days from the date of declaration of the result of the election, lodge with the District Election Authority, an account of his election expenses, which shall be a true copy of the account kept by him, or by his election agent, under section 617 B. Lodging of account with the District Election Authority. 422 [Act No. II of 1956] CHAPTER XVII B. APPOINTMENT OF OBSERVERS 617 D. (1) The State Election Commission may nominate an Observer who shall be an officer of Government to watch the conduct of election or elections in a ward or group of wards, of a Municipal Corporation and to perform such other functions as may be entrusted to him by the State Election Commission in relation thereto. (2) The Observer nominated under sub-section (1) shall have the power to direct the Returning Officer for the ward or for any of the wards for which he has been nominated, to stop the counting of votes at any time before the declaration of the result or not to declare the result, if in the opinion of the Observer, booth capturing has taken place at a large number of polling stations or counting of votes or any ballot papers used at a polling station or at a place fixed for the poll are unlawfully taken out of the custody of the Returning Officer or are accidentally or intentionally destroyed or lost or are damaged or tampered with to such an extent that the result of the poll at that polling station cannot be ascertained. (3) Where an Observer has directed the Returning Officer under this section to stop counting of votes or not to declare the result, the Observer shall forthwith report the matter to the State Election Commission and thereupon the State Election Commission shall, after taking all material circumstances into account, issue appropriate directions under section 59A or section 63A or section 65. (4) It shall be competent for the State Election Commission to appoint an election expenditure observer for a group of wards of a Municipal Corporation, so as to ensure that the provisions of Chapter XVIIA are strictly adhered to and in that behalf the Commission may issue Appointment of Observers. [Act No. II of 1956] 423 such instructions as it deems fit, from time to time, to such Observers.] CHAPTER XVIII. Licensing of Surveyors and Plumbers.