Collector enforces poll code 8212; Case against Sena

Sena district chief Vijay Tadwalkar would be asked to instruct his partymen properly to remove all the boards, hoardings, advertisements, posters and cut outs, the district collector added.

The election office here would approach the Election Commission in the Cantonment Shiv Sena case for violation of the model code of conduct, in case the party leaders failed to take cognisance of the EC directives, Gautam said.

The code of conduct requires all the parties to remove or permanently erase the political ads. The political workers, however, have just covered their boards and hoarding with paper or clothe pieces which is not sufficient, Gautam said. The private advertisement agencies in the city have also been asked to remove their political ads, he said.

8220;After the first day action in neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad, we have been able to remove about 85 per cent political ad boards,8221; Gautam said.

Taking stern note of non-removal of certain boards in various parts of the district, the Collector had convened an emergency meeting of all the ward officers and assistant returning officers this afternoon. Gautam asked all the officials to personally verify removal of the boards, rather than sitting in their respective offices, it was stated.

Names on CD, but no push buttons
Pune electorates will have wait for the 21st century to turn actually for getting a chance to use the electronic voting machines. None of the three constituencies in Pune district figure in the list of 46 parliamentary constituencies in the country where electronic voting machines will be used during the ensuing elections, returning officer Yuvaraj Poman said today.

About six crore electorate are expected to use about one lakh electronic voting machines at 65,000 polling booths in 46 constituencies.

Use of voting machines for Pune and Baramati constituencies had been given a consideration, but there was no final decision on it, Poman said.

However, the political workers would get some solace as the tedious job of preparing voters8217; slips would be bit easier this year with the electoral rolls available on compact disks CDs. The voters lists CDs will be available after publication of the electoral rolls on July 28.