Prez polls: Who is eligible?

A potential candidate in the presidential polls needs to fulfill six basic criteria to be eligible to contest the elections.

According to the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952, no person shall be eligible for election as President unless he is a citizen of India and he has completed the age of 35 years. He should also be qualified for "election as a member of the House of the People".

As per the Constitution, a person shall not be eligible for election as President if he holds any office of profit under the Government of India or the Government of any State or under any local or other authority subject to the control of any of the state governments.

However, a person shall not be deemed to hold any office of profit by reason only that he is the President or Vice-President of the Union or the governor of any state or is a minister either for the union or for any state.

Also, as per the The Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Rules of 1974, a prospective Presidential candidate should get his nomination paper subscribed by at least 50 electors as proposers and at least 50 electors as seconders. In the case of prospective Vice-Presidential candidate, the nomination paper should be subscribed by at least 20 electors as proposers and at least 20 electors as seconders.

No elector shall subscribe whether as proposers or as seconder, more than one nomination paper at the same election and if he does so, his signature shall be inoperative on any paper other than the one first delivered. Not more than four nomination papers can be filed by or on behalf of a candidate or received by the Returning Officer.

A prospective candidate should also deposit a sum of Rs 15,000 as security deposit. This amount is liable to be forfeited if at the election where the poll has been taken the candidate is not elected and the number of valid votes polled by such candidate does not exceed one-sixth of the votes necessary to secure the return of a candidate at such election.

An election petition calling in question an election to the office of the President may be presented - within 30 days from the date of publication of the declaration of the result of election to the Supreme Court by any candidate at such election or any 20 or more electors joined together as petitioners; and in the case of the election to the office of the Vice-President, by any candidate at such election or by ten or more electors joined together as petitioners.