Bhopal, Aug 08: In an apparent bid to ensure proper participation of minorities in forthcoming assembly elections, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh has asked the election commission to hold polling in the state after November 25 after Ramzan. "Since Ramzan would be observed in the country till November 25, it would be appropriate to hold the assembly elections after that," Singh, who met Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh in New Delhi yesterday, told the reporters.
"I also told the election commission that the allegations being levelled by BJP about voters' list in the state are baseless. If BJP had any complaints about the list it should have presented them in time," Singh said.
BJP leaders are trying to give an impression that serious irregularities have been made in preparation of voters' list and efforts are being made even to mislead Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the matter, the Chief Minister alleged.
To a query, he said steps are being taken to raise the job quota for other backward classes from 14 per cent to 27 per cent.
"The state government is empowered to take its own decision regarding reservation of jobs and there is no need to send these measures to the centre," he said.
An old bill on job reservation which had been sent to the president is being brought back, he said, adding the state government is trying to find ways and means of reserving 27 per cent jobs for OBCs. Bureau Report