Sankarasubban, J.

Petitioner in the original Petition is the appellant. By Ext. P1, the third respondent notified that election will be held to Defect to live Senate of the University of Kerala 20 members by the Registered Graduates from among themselves. The programme for the election was given in the notification. According to Ext. P1 notification, scrutiny of the nomination was to take place at 11.30 A.M. on 5.1.1995. Nominations have

to be made in the prescribed form, copies of which will be supplied from the office of the Registrar to the electors on request. Petitioner filed his nomination in the prescribed form in response to the notification. At the time of scrutiny, there was no objection to the acceptance of the petitioner's nomination. But the Returning Officer rejected his nomination without assigning any reason. By Ext. P3, petitioner requested the Returning Officer to inform the reasons for rejecting the nomination. Then the petitioner was orally informed that the nomination was rejected because the petitioner did not strike off either item 2 or 3 in his nomination paper under the title "Consent and affidavit". Thereafter, petitioner filed Ext.P4 petition b