Democrats’ Dilemma
As the United States enters the year of the next Presidential election, the Democratic Party finds itself at a crossroads, grappling with growing concerns about President Joe Biden’s chances of securing a second term.
Six candidates filed their papers for the presidential election on the first day of nominations, officials said on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission issued notification for the presidential poll, setting the ball in motion for the July 17 election to the country's highest constitutional post.
Those who filed nominations on Wednesday include K. Padmarajan from Salem in Tamil Nadu, who has earned the moniker of 'Election King' by contesting more than 150 elections.
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His name figures in the Limca Book of Records for being the "most unsuccessful candidate".
Earlier, Padmarajan has contested against political bigwigs like J. Jayalalithaa, M. Karunanidhi, A.K. Anthony, P.V. Narasimha Rao, K.R. Narayanan, S.M. Krishna, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (in Rajya Sabha polls) and President Pranab Mukherjee in the presidential election.
Others who filed their nominations were Anand Singh Kushwaha from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, A. Bala Raj from Mahbubnagar in Telangana, Saira Bano Patel from Mumbai, Abdul Hamid Patel from Mumbai, and Kondekar Vijayprakash from Pune in Maharashtra.
Lok Sabha Secretary General Anoop Mishra, the Returning Officer for the election, issued the notification that the nomination papers may be delivered by a candidate or any of their proposers/seconders not later than June 28.
Voting will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 17 at places fixed under the rules.
The vote count will be on July 20, four days before incumbent Pranab Mukherjee's term ends on July 24. The new President is set to assume office the following day.
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