From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Apr 12: A total of 84 candidates, most of them independents, have filed their nomination papers on the third day since the start of the process of filing nominations with the issuance of the official notification  for the May 5 assembly elections in Karnataka.

While 27 persons had filed their nomination papers on  Day 1, April 10 and another 84 filed their nomination papers on Friday.

Incidentally, the number of candidates, who filed their nominations was less on April 10 as it was Amavasya, considered inauspicious as per Hindu astrology. The second day, April 11, nobody could file nomination papers as it was a public holiday, being the Ugadi festival.

Thus, Day 3, April 12 Friday, is actually the second day since the commencement of filing of nomination papers
With this, the total number of nominations filed by candidates has gone up to 111.

Meanwhile, the State’s Chief Electoral Officer Anil Kumar Jha said the Central Administrative Tribunal issued a notice to the Election Commission on an application filed by former Bangalore Police Commissioner B G Jyothiprakash Mirji challenging his transfer order

“We have got a notice and are studying it,” he said.

On April 5, Mirji was transferred and Home Secretary Raghavendra H Auradkar posted in his place.

An official notification, said the transfer order was issued as per the direction of Election Commission “for smooth conduct of elections in a free and fair manner”.
 
“The Election Commission is also studying the CAT order with regard to transfer of eight IAS officers,” Jha said.

He said a total of 17.36 lakh applications have been received seeking inclusion of names in the voters’ list. Already, officials have disbursed 11.26 lakh applications.