EC gears up for LS polls,CPM for 3-week schedule

Gearing up for the Lok Sabha polls,the full Election Commission met leaders of political parties who disfavoured the exercise being staggered over several phases,with CPM suggesting it should be completed within three weeks.

Gearing up for the Lok Sabha polls,the full Election Commission on Tuesday met leaders of political parties who disfavoured the exercise being staggered over several phases,with CPM suggesting it should be completed within three weeks.

A highlight of the meeting was Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami and Election Commissioner Navin Chawla appearing together in public for the first time after the controversy over the recommendation for Chawla’s removal came to the fore.

The meeting came against the backdrop of one of the Election Commissioners S Y Quraishi hinting that the polls could be held between April 8 and May 15.

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“A common view among the parties who attended the meeting today was to hold the general elections towards the end of April,” BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

Suggesting that the polls should not be stretched out too much,CPM leader Sitamram Yechury said it should not exceed at the most three weeks. The party also opposed stoppage of ongoing developmental activities during the entire poll period.

Yechury said states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu where one-day polling have been held,the same practice should be maintained. There was no need for having multi-phased polls in such states as it would only stretch resources and security requirements.

Both Yechury and D Raja (CPI) demanded proportional representation and state funding of elections.

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