Section 15 in The Goa Panchayat and Zilla Panchayat (Election Procedure) Rules, 1996
15. Scrutiny of nomination paper.
(1)At the time and place appointed for the scrutiny of nomination, intending candidates or in their absence any other person duly authorised in writing by each such intending candidate, shall alone be entitled to be present. The Returning Officer shall allow such persons reasonable facilities for examining the nomination papers of intending candidates.(2)The Returning Officer shall scrutinise the nomination papers and decide all objections which may be made before him to any nomination and may, either on such objection or on his own motion, after such summary enquiry, if any, as he may consider necessary, reject a nomination paper on any of the following grounds, namely:-(i)that the candidate is disqualified or is not qualified under the Act or these rules for election; or(ii)that the candidate has failed to comply with any of the provisions required by these rules or the Act;(iii)that the nomination of candidate has been seconded by any voter of the ward in case of Panchayat or Constituency in case of Zilla Panchayat in which the candidate has filed his nomination paper;(iv)that he or the seconder is not identical with the person whose number or name on the voters list as stated in the nomination paper to be the number or name of the candidate or seconder; or(v)that the signature of the candidate or a seconder is not genuine or has been obtained by fraud, coercion or undue influence.(3)The Returning Officer shall not reject any nomination paper on the ground of any defect which is not of substantial character.(4)For the purpose of sub-rule (2), the production of a certified copy of an entry made in the list of voters shall be conclusive evidence of the right of any voter named in that entry to stand for election unless it is proved that the candidate is disqualified.
