New Delhi, Oct 06: The poll schedule for assembly elections in five states is likely to be announced today by the Election Commission. Earlier in the day, the full commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh had a meeting with Union Home Secretary N Gopalaswami when the security requirements for conducting the polls in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram were discussed.

After the brief meeting, the Home Secretary declined to talk to the press. The Commission has already had two meetings with the chief secretaries, chief electoral officers and top level police officers from these states to review the preparations.

The Commission, among other things, had reviewed the status of the distribution of electoral photo identity cards, requirement of electoral voting machines (EVMs), central paramilitary forces, location of the polling stations and the requirement of the observers during the polls. The term of the Mizoram Assembly comes to an end in the first week of December followed by Delhi Assembly on December 13, Rajasthan on January three and Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on January 31 next year.

Bureau Report