Section 8 in Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj (Conduct of Elections) Rules, 2006
8. Nomination of Candidates.
(1)Any person may be nominated as a candidate for election to the office of Member or Sarpanch of a Gram Panchayat, Member of a Mandal Praja Parishad and Member of a Zilla Praja Parishad if he/she is qualified to be chosen to fill the seat under the provisions of the Act. Every nomination paper shall be in Form-III for Gram Panchayat and in Form-IV for Mandal Praja Parishad and Zilla Praja Parishad. This shall be presented by the candidate or by his proposer in person, between the hours specified, and signed by the candidate and by the proposer. The candidate shall sign the declaration on the nomination paper expressing his willingness to stand for the election.(2)(a)A candidate for the office of Member and Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat, Member of Mandal Praja Parishad and Member of Zilla Praja Parishad shall be a person whose name is registered in the electoral roll for that Gram Panchayat or Mandal Praja Parishad or Zilla Praja Parishad, as the case may be.(b)The proposer for member of a ward in the Gram Panchayat or for Member of Mandal Praja Parishad or Zilla Praja Parishad shall be a registered voter in the concerned ward or the territorial constituency. The proposer to the office of Sarpanch shall be a registered voter in any ward of the concerned Gram Panchayat.(c)A candidate for the office of Member or Sarpanch in a Gram Panchayat or Member in Mandal Praja Parishad or Zilla Praja Parishad, which is reserved, to be filled by a person belonging to the Scheduled Tribes or Scheduled Castes or Women or Backward Classes, as the case may be, shall not be deemed to be qualified to be chosen to fill that seat unless his nomination paper contains a declaration by him specifying the particular tribe or caste or class of which he is a member and the area in relation to which that Tribe or Caste is a Scheduled Tribe or as the case may be, a Scheduled Caste or Backward Class of the State. This declaration shall be made before any Gazetted Officer of the Government or before any Officer of the Revenue Department not below the rank of a Mandal Revenue Officer.(d)Each candidate shall be nominated on a separate nomination paper.(e)A candidate may be nominated by more than one proposer separately for the same elective post in a separate nomination paper.(3)A candidate may file nominations for more than one ward in a Gram Panchayat or territorial constituency of a Mandal Praja Parishad or Zilla Praja Parishad, as the case may be, but he shall withdraw his nominations to all but one ward or territorial constituency, as the case may be, of his choice, before the date and time fixed for withdrawal of candidature, failing which, all his nominations shall become invalid and he shall not be allowed to contest from any ward or territorial constituency, referred to above.
