EC reviews poll preparedness in Haryana

Chief Electoral Officer of Haryana Sajjan Singh was also present at these meetings,official sources said.

No representatives of Haryana Janhit Congress-BL,formed by Kuldeep Bishnoi,younger son of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal,CPI and NCP turned up in the meetings.

BJP,which was represented by party Secretary Gian Chand Gupta and former MP Rattan Lal Kataria,expressed fears on misuse of the official machinery by the state government and demanded that the state should be brought under President’s Rule to ensure free and fair elections.

The party also demanded deployment of Para-military forces including CRPF and removal of pictures of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda from hoardings and posters in the state.

Ajay Chautala of INLD and BSP’s state unit President Parkash Bharti,who attended the meeting,urged the EC to conduct polls through ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines.

The INLD also demanded an enquiry into the alleged irregularities in the voters lists of various districts,while the BSP feared that the poor voters may be deprived of their voting rights by the dominant class during the polls.

Congress Secretary Rajinder Singh Saini said that the party was committed to follow the directions of the EC. “We do not have any complaint,” Saini told reporters. In the meeting,CPI(M) was represented by B B Abrol and R S Sathi and the RJD by Bharat Bhushan Yadav,the sources said. The Commission also held a meeting with the Divisional Commissioners,Inspector Generals of Police of all four ranges of Ambala,Hissar,Rohtak and Gurgaon,Commissioners of Police of Gurgaon and Faridabad and District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police of 21 districts.

Before holding a press conference later in the day,the EC is scheduled to meet the state Chief Secretary,Home Secretary and Director General of Police of Haryana to review poll preparedness,the sources said.