LS poll dates to be announced soon: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner TS Krishna Murthy said the Election Commission would announce the poll schedule after discussions with the home ministry, chief secretaries and director-generals of police in the states.

"The dates will be announced shortly," Krishna Murthy told reporters here soon after taking over as the Chief Election Commissioner.

By and large, the new CEC said, the commission was in favour of simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha and Assemblies. Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Sikkim have informed the commission about dissolution of their Assemblies, he said. "We desire elections there should be held simultaneously," he added.

Krishna Murthy said as soon as the commission made up its mind about the poll schedule, it would be announced. "At the earliest opportunity we will announce it," he said.

Asked what the biggest challenge before the commission was, he said the immediate priority was to ensure that electoral rolls should be "reasonably perfect". "We have certain difficulties. In some states, voter population is rather high. We are verifying its accuracy," he said.

The CEC said the focus should be on "clean electoral rolls, less violence and reduced poll expenditure". N Gopalaswami, former Union home secretary, who assumed charge as the third Election Commissioner, said expectations were "very high" and the commission would ensure that its fair name was protected. "Elections will be conducted to the satisfaction of all," he said.

Krishna Murthy said the commission had enough electronic voting machines (EVMs), and even if simultaneous polls were held in some states, the commission was prepared for it.

He said the commission was working on setting up a sort of "helpline" in urban areas for the benefit of electors, adding if it worked satisfactorily, it could be implemented in other areas.

To a question on commission's recent findings of a large number of voters in Andhra Pradesh, the CEC said in some states voters had migrated from one constituency to another, which had been corrected.

This exercise was going in other states also, he said adding the commission would ensure that any increase in the number of voters was corrected immediately.

Asked about his predecessor JM Lyngdoh's comments on politicians, Krishna Murthy said every one had a right to hold personal views. "Our business is to conduct elections. In the next three months, I do not want to say anything except on elections," he said.

He also said ideally political parties especially those in power, should observe the spirit of the model code of conduct even before announcement of poll dates adding that as far as possible tax payers' money should not be used for electoral advantages.

"We have not discussed (the issue). My personal view is as far as possible tax payers money should not be used for electoral advantages," he said.

He said the model code of conduct would come into force only after the elections were announced. To a query, whether there was violation of the code by issuing advertisements by the government, he merely said he would not go into it. He appealed to political parties, particularly those in power, to observe the spirit of model code of conduct "even now".

Asked whether the commission would bring any guidelines for political parties issuing advertisements on television, the CEC said, "We should have a discussion with the information and broadcasting ministry in this regard. So far we have not discussed it. We will have to address this issue."