Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala’s Chief Electoral Officer has issued a circular urging political parties to ensure that nomination papers for the Assembly elections are not filed on public holidays, in line with legal provisions.

In a communication dated March 18, CEO Rathan U Kelkar said the last date for filing nominations for the 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections is March 23. Citing provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the circular noted that nomination papers cannot be submitted to the Returning Officer on a public holiday. As per the law, a public holiday is one declared under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881.

The government pointed out that Eid-Ul-Fitr (Ramzan), likely to fall on March 20, has been notified as a public holiday for 2026, subject to the sighting of the moon.

It also referred to the Returning Officer’s Handbook, which reiterates that nomination papers can be presented only on working days and not on notified public holidays. In view of the limited time before the deadline, the Chief Electoral Officer has asked political parties to advise their candidates accordingly to ensure the timely and valid submission of nomination papers.