Dates 8212; BJP, Cong polls apart

quot;We have requested the Commission to hold the polls only after the revision of electoral rolls is over,quot; Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee told newsmen soon after the party delegation met Gill.

Congress spokesman Ajit Jogi said quot;whatever dates are convenient to the Commission would be acceptable to the party after the revision of the rollsquot;.

The CPIM and the CPI, the Samajwadi party and former prime minister Chandrashekhar8217;s Samajwadi Janata Party have all pressed for elections in the latter half of September, observing that by then the monsoons would be over and the electoral rolls would have beenupdated. With the Congress too favouring polls later, the divide between the Opposition and the BJP and its allies is clear.

The BJP8217;s argument for early polls is that it would not be proper for a caretaker government headed by Atal Behari Vajpayee to take policy decisions on matters confronting the country. The BJP has also pointed out that a long spell under a caretaker government could lead to uncertainty resulting in an economic slowdown.

The EC has already indicated that it would take a decision on the poll schedule only after seeking the opinion of all political parties and hearing their views at an all party meeting on May 3.

The six recognised political parties and 48 state parties will participate in the meeting, though the difference of views on the schedule has become known.

As parties began trading charges alleging violation of the election code of conduct, the Commission has urged political parties and the central and state governments to exercise restraint.

While clarifying that thecode of conduct comes into force only after the declaration of the poll schedule, Gill asked parties and governments to observe certain democratic norms as the country is in an election mode.

The CEC8217;s comments follows complaints reaching the EC about the large-scale transfer of officials in Bihar after the dissolution of the Lok Sabha and Vajpayee8217;s address to the nation on Doordarshan and All India Radio.

The Congress has also written to President K R Narayanan urging him to issue guidelines barring the caretaker Vajpayee government from taking policy decisions in the absence of accountability to Parliament.