Cong for single-phase polls

In their representations to the three-member election commission on thursday, the congress and the NCP demanded...

In their representations to the three-member election commission on thursday, the congress and the NCP demanded single-phase Assembly polls in Gujarat, while the ruling BJP asked for election to be conducted in two-phases. The BSP asked for a four-phased election.

The Congress team led by state unit President Bharat Solanki put forward the view that the phased elections would give a chance to the ruling party to manipulate the polls while making a representation to Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy and Election Commissioners Navin Chawla and Y S Qureshi.

The Congress has demanded that the Election Code of Conduct be implemented immediately. Solanki also demanded that officials who are supporting the present Government and have served for more than three years in one position be shifted to other departments.

The Congress also demanded that postings of police officers facing serious complaints or against whom judiciary has passed remarks for their negligent work during the 2002 Godhra riots, should be reviewed. It said sensitive booths should be identified in advance and special security be put in place for them.

BJP MP Surendra Patel, who led the BJP delegation, said: “We have demanded that elections be held in two phases, following other states and a minimum gap of five days be kept between them.”

Meanwhile, the Election Commission asked the Gujarat Government to furnish the list of recently transferred officials and of “tainted” officials posted on poll duty during the 2002 Assembly elections.

Addressing mediapersons after meeting representatives of various political parties, Gopalaswamy said he had taken the action following complaints from some political parties that “tainted” officers were being brought back to those places where they were posted in the 2002 Assembly elections.

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The CEC said he had already held deliberations with the state’s Chief Secretary and the Home Secretary on these issues, including security matters, for the forthcoming elections.

Gopalaswamy said that the Government was also asked to furnish a list of vacancies, particularly at the level of deputy collectors and deputy superintendents of police. The Election Commission, according to Gopalaswamy, has also ordered the Government not to utilise contractual employees for election work as such employees were susceptible to be managed by the ruling party.