Best LS poll date soon, says EC

Except BJP and its allies, five of the six national parties 8212; Congress, CPIM, CPI, Janata Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party 8212; demanded that the polls be held in September or in the first week of October in view of adverse weather conditions.

Nearly two-thirds of the 40 state parties too favoured that the mid-term polls be conducted in the later part of the year in September. However, BJP and its allies wanted early elections, if possible, in June.

The Commission, Gill said, 8220;is faced with a difficult decision but is confident of carrying out its Constitutional duty of fixing the best possible and most appropriate time table under the given circumstances in order to ensure that its prime duty of completing the task in good time and in a fair and efficient manner is carried out.8221;

The CEC said that he and his other two colleagues 8212; G V G Krishnamurty and J M Lymgdoh 8212; would pay 8220;full attention8221; to the suggestions given by the national and state parties.

Gill announced that the Commission would organise another all-party meeting to decide on various logistical and administrative arrangements given the success of today8217;s parleys.

On the Assembly elections in nine states, Gill said Congress, CPI, Shiromani Akali Dal, Biju Janata Dal and certain other parties wanted holding of Assembly elections simultaneously with Lok Sabha polls, while BJP, Shiv Sena and Telugu Desam opposed it.

The Commission, he said, would also take a decision soon about the Assembly polls.

Gill indicated that Assembly elections in Goa would be held before the expiry of President8217;s Rule there on August 9 since major parties including Congress and BJP and state parties did not want extension of Central Rule.

Observing that the march of political events had quot;unfortunately forced elections on the country during the most climatically difficultquot; six months of the year, Gill recalled from 1952 all elections, barring the second stage of polling in 1991 following the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, had been held between November to April or at best in May.

8220;The Commission is now faced with the difficult task of choosing timings within the given deadline of six months,8221; he said, adding 8221;the polls will be like a military operation8221;.

He acknowledged the problems like organisation of 40 lakh polling staff and mobilisation of lakhs of paramilitary military forces, besides the country being in the midst of a comprehensive revision of electoral rolls which is likely to be completed in the third week of July.

He also appreciated the need for political parties to have a little time to do their own planning and mobilisation.

Terming the coming polls as the 8220;election of the millennium8221;, Gill also listed other tasks being faced by the Commission like logistics of procuring thousands of tonnes of paper for printing ballots, financial allotments of a 8220;large order8221; in the Central and state budgets to tie over official poll expenditure and a host of minor issues.

The CEC asked political parties to assist the Commission in having a peaceful, fair, free and transparent poll 8220;so that the country8217;s established reputation and good name is further enhanced8221;.

Gill said 8220;the Commission will duly consider the views of the parties along with its own analysis of all the other listed issues and will indicate to the country its proposed line of action at an early date.8221;

The major parties which attended the meeting included BJP, Congress, CPIM, CPI, Janata Dal, Bahujan Samaj Party, AIADMK, Forward Bloc, RJP, Trinamool Congress, Asom Gana Parishad, BJD, DMK, National Conference, Lok Shakti, PMK, RJD, RPI, RSP, Samajwadi Party, Samata Party, Shiromani Akali Dal, Shiv Sena, Tamil Maanila Congress and Telugu Desam.

Six state parties including four from Mizoram could not join the parleys.