New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner SY
Quraishi on Wednesday said the poll panel may try to "squeeze in" the
assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh if schools are not
available during the annual examinations held normally in
March.
"We can maybe squeeze in the polls a bit. We will see,"
Quraishi said when asked if the Election Commission was
thinking of holding early elections in UP or will wait for the
exams to get over.
The poll process in UP has to be completed by May 13.
He pointed out that postponing the examination was not an
option and so possibilities of holding polls in a short span
may have to be looked into.
Since UP is a big state, assembly polls are usually hold
in several phases. In 2007, the elections were held in five
phases.
The EC has the option of holding the polls either before
March or in April. Another possibility, according to sources,
is holding some phases before the exams and some after them.
Quraishi said he will hold a meeting soon with the union
Home secretary to seek availability of forces for elections in
the sensitive state.
Earlier in the day, the CEC held a meeting with CBDT
chairperson to streamline the tax machinery for curbing misuse
of black money during the forthcoming elections.
PTI
