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Journalism of Courage
The Election Commission (EC) is likely to announce election dates around February 20. The announcement will come after the Commission meets chief secretaries, DGPs and Chief Election Officers (CEOs) of all states and UTs on February 12, 16 and 17.
After the meeting of state-level officials, the EC will hold a meeting with new Home Secretary Anil Baijal to ‘‘officially’’ finalise the requirement and deployment of paramilitary forces for election duty.
EC sources said that unlike J-K elections — when security personnel from UP, Bihar and Punjab were sent to monitor polls — there will be no major movement of security personnel. ‘‘Such an operation would be impossible during general elections as it would require large-scale transportation. But the EC will ensure that polling duties of security personnel are not in their home districts or where they are posted,’’ sources said.
Except for UP, the electoral rolls of all states will be finalised by February 28. Since simultaneous polls will take place in Orissa, Sikkim and Andhra Pradesh, the EC will have to consider the fact that the new AP Assembly has to be in place by May 13 in order to avoid a constitutional crisis.
In the first phase of the meeting, the chief secretaries, CEOs and DGPs of 15 states will meet the EC. On February 16, officials from Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh will hold discussions. Finally, preparations in J-K will be discussed on February 17. ‘‘Efforts are on to hold the elections in four phases,’’ EC sources said.
