(1)The State Election Commission may appoint one or more Assistant Returning Officers who shall be officers of the Government or of the local authorities to assist any Returning Officer in the performance of his functions.(2)Every Assistant Returning Officer shall, subject to the control of the Returning Officer, be competent to perform all or any of the functions of the Returning Officer:Provided that no Assistant Returning Officer shall perform any of the functions of the Returning Officer relating to the scrutiny of nominations unless the Returning Officer is unavoidably prevented from performing the said function.
