Host of political parties met with the high-level team of the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday to put forth their view on the schedule of Assembly polls in Jharkhand. Delegations from the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, JVM, AJSU and some others presented their memorandums before the Commission.
In its meeting with the ECI team, the BJP emphasised over fairness in conducting Assembly polls in Jharkhand. The saffron party cited the incidents of alleged rigging during the lok Sabha elections at Dumka where its candidate Sunil Soren had lost to JMM supremo Shibu Soren.
The ECI team comprising Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath and two other Election Commissioners, HS Brahma and Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi, is on a two-day trip of the State. The team would hold a meeting with the deputy commissioners and other officials tomorrow to take a final view on the poll schedule.
BJP leader Deepak Prakash said that deployment of forces should be the utmost priority of the poll body. "Though we want polls in the State as soon as possible dates after monsoon season should be fixed. Along with that we submitted to the panel that central security forces should be deployed so that local police is not misused for political gains. It has happened last time at Dumka," said Prakash.
The party also stressed over early revision of electoral roll so that all eligible voters of the State can figure into it. "We also urged for just location of polling booths in the polls. Often we see that voters have to travel kilometers to cast their votes. Names in the voters' list should also keep in mind the religious concentrations so that anyone does not feel uncomfortable in going and casting vote in any particular area," said he.
Besides, the party delegation brought the attention of the ECI on interpretation of rules by local authorities during election campaigning. "It happens during the polls that officials at local level interpret rules of the Commission differently and impose several unjust restrictions related to posters, banners or other materials. The Commission should come clear on this issue," said the BJP leader.
The Congress, on the other hand, called for conducting polls in 3-4 stages. "Elections should be conducted only after completion of present Assembly term and after Chath puja. It should be held in 3-4 stages looking at the law and order situation in the State. We also requested the Election Commission to complete the voters' list revision work as early as possible and the exercise should be expedited in the State," said lal Kishore Nath Sahdeo, media in-charge of the Pradesh Congress Committee. Sahdeo was accompanied by Surendra Singh and Deo Kumar Dhan.
AJSU, on the other hand, stressed on September-October poll date during its meeting with the ECI team. "The polls should be held as early as possible. We also requested the Commission to deploy security number of forces considering naxal violence. Also, the polls should be held in phases and division wise. We also requested that distance of polling booth should not be more than one kilometer for any voter and a relook over the guidelines related to putting party flags in residential area of any party worker," said party spokesperson Deosharan Bhagat.
While the JVM, led by party legislative body leader Pradeep Yadav sought for early dates for the polls. "We pressed that elections in the State should be held along with polls in Haryana and other poll bound States of the country. Besides we have also stressed on adequate deployment of security forces during the poll," said Yadav.