Presidential Election 2022: Issue of notification, candidates can file nominations till June 29

New Delhi, Jun 15: The process to file nominations for the 16th President of India began on Wednesday with the Election Commission issuing a notification calling upon the electors to fill the vacancy. Nominations can be filed by the candidates till the 29th of this month. The poll for the Presidential Election will be held on the 18th of next month and counting will take place on the 21st of July. The term of office of President Ram Nath Kovind is ending on the 24th of next month.

The nomination process began on a day when various opposition parties are meeting in Delhi to decide on a presidential candidate. The scrutiny of the papers will take place on June 30. July 2 has been decided as the last date of withdrawing from the electoral battle.

The term of incumbent President Ram Nath Kovind ends on July 24. The president is elected by the members of the electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and elected members of the legislative assemblies of all states, including the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

The nominated members of either Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha or legislative assemblies of the states are not eligible to be included in the electoral college and, therefore, they are not entitled to participate in the election. Similarly, members of the legislative councils are also not electors for the presidential election.

While voting takes place in Parliament House and state legislative assemblies, the counting of votes is held in the national capital. Leaders of some major political parties held hectic parleys on Tuesday ahead of a meeting called by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee here on Wednesday to forge a consensus for fielding a joint candidate against the NDA in the presidential election, a move that has exposed the fault lines within the opposition.