- News>
- India
EC meeting on poll preparations
New Delhi, Feb 12: The Election Commission is holding the first of its series of meetings with Chief Secretaries and top electoral and police officials from various states to finalise the Lok Sabha poll schedule.
New Delhi, Feb 12: The Election Commission is holding the first of its series of meetings with Chief Secretaries and top electoral and police officials from various states to finalise the Lok Sabha poll schedule.
The Chief Secretaries, Director Generals of Police and Chief Electoral Officers from 14 states have been invited for the first stage of discussions to take stock of ground situation for deciding the number of phases and also dates for elections.
The exercise is also to consider the possibilities of holding simultaneous assembly elections in a few states, including Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Orissa, and the availability of forces for the peaceful conduct of the polls, likely in April.
The second stage of discussion on February 16 would be held with top officials from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, West Bengal, the North Eastern region, Bihar and Jharkhand, EC sources revealed.
However, the preparations for elections in Jammu and Kashmir would figure at the discussion scheduled for February 17. The meetings would evaluate the progress of work in each state with regard to preparation of electoral rolls.
Sources said the date for meeting with the Union Home Secretary to discuss the issues pertaining to the deployment of central paramilitary forces would be decided later.
The full Election Commission headed by new Chief T S Krishnamurthy and Election Commissioners B B Tandon and N Gopalaswami will attend all the three meetings.
The EC had already indicated that the process of Lok Sabha elections would be completed by the end of April. However the poll schedule, he said, would be announced at an ``appropriate time”.
Bureau Report
The exercise is also to consider the possibilities of holding simultaneous assembly elections in a few states, including Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Orissa, and the availability of forces for the peaceful conduct of the polls, likely in April.
The second stage of discussion on February 16 would be held with top officials from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, West Bengal, the North Eastern region, Bihar and Jharkhand, EC sources revealed.
However, the preparations for elections in Jammu and Kashmir would figure at the discussion scheduled for February 17. The meetings would evaluate the progress of work in each state with regard to preparation of electoral rolls.
Sources said the date for meeting with the Union Home Secretary to discuss the issues pertaining to the deployment of central paramilitary forces would be decided later.
The full Election Commission headed by new Chief T S Krishnamurthy and Election Commissioners B B Tandon and N Gopalaswami will attend all the three meetings.
The EC had already indicated that the process of Lok Sabha elections would be completed by the end of April. However the poll schedule, he said, would be announced at an ``appropriate time”.
Bureau Report