Bengal not conducive for polls, NDA to EC

The law and order situation in the state was “very bad” and the state-sponsored terrorism was forcing the people to flee from their places, Goel told reporters.

Stating that the commission could play a role regarding the law and order situation in West Bengal only when the assembly poll process began, Gill said “these days I very closely read all these statements. But at the moment, whatever these matters are, they lie constitutionally in other domain”.

The commission’s role came only at the time of entering into the election process, Gill said, adding that the commission was concerned and very much focused on the aspect of a good law and order situation in all the five states to have a peaceful and fair poll.

He said the commission expected the authorities and political parties to fight the elections in a democratic and peaceful way. “Any thought towards push and pull should be denied”, he said.

Gill said simultaneous elections to the five state assemblies — West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Pondicherry — scheduled this year are likely to be held by the third week of May.

The tenures of the Tamil Nadu assembly expire on May 21 and Kerala on May 28 while those of West Bengal and Pondicherry expire on June 9. The term of the Assam Assembly ends on June 11. “We are very much focused. Elections will be held before the third week of May,” Gill said.

The CEC also hinted at simultaneous elections for all the assemblies saying that the commission had also tried to bunch together elections since the results of one assembly election could have a bearing on another when held over a short span of time.

He said the EC had followed the practice of holding assembly elections two weeks ahead of the expiry of the tenure so that the new governments were in place well in time.

Gill said the commission would extensively employ electronic voting machines during the coming polls. Two public sector units in Bangalore and Hyderabad had been asked to expedite the delivery of 1.5 lakh new machines to add to a similar number existing.

The CEC said the commission would complete 50 years of its existence later this month and the “celebration of India’s constitutional democratic structure” would be held over two days from January 17.

President K R Narayanan, Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, Lok Sabha Speaker G M C Balayogi, leader of Opposition Sonia Gandhi and election officials from other countries would attend the celebrations.