M A I N   N E W S

Kerala row over seats blows over

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, June 16 (PTI) — Crisis in the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala over the sharing of Rajya Sabha seats was resolved today with the principal partner, the CPM, deciding to withdraw its candidate, Mr K. Chandran Pillai, in favour of the CPI and RSP nominees.

A solution to the worst-ever crisis faced by the LDF was arrived at in the final found of discussions at the front's state committee.

LDF convener V.S. Achuthanandan told reporters that as per the settlement formula, Mr V.V. Raghavan, (CPI) and Mr N.K. Premachandran (RSP) would go to the Rajya Sabha for the first half of the six-year term beginning on July 10.

After three years, the RSP would give up the seat in favour of the Janata Dal (Secular) and the CPI in favour of the CPM, he said.

Gill: I-cards to be mandatory

CHENNAI, June 16 (PTI) — The production of photo identity cards (PICs) by people for casting votes during the assembly poll in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Pondicherry would be made mandatory, Chief Election Commissioner M.S.Gill said here today.

He told a press conference that the commission would also deploy more electronic voting machines (EVMs) during the Assembly poll.

These two actions would prevent “electoral abuses” like bogus voting and booth-capturing to a large extent, he said.

Mr Gill said the PICs and EVMs would be the commission’s main thrust in the elections in the new century. “This is the commission’s new technology for the new century”, he said.

He said 99 per cent of the public and political parties were in favour of EVMs. The doubts expressed by a small section of the people in EVMs could be erased by effective propaganda, he said, adding that he had suggested to all Chief Election Officers of the states, which would be going to the polls next year, to keep one EVM in all district collectorates so that the people could use it and be familiar with the machines.

Admitting that there was a delay in the distribution of PICs in Tamil Nadu, Mr Gill said the state Election Department would be introducing an “on-line” system under which the voter would be photographed in the booth, where he would be voting and the identity cards would be given to him within half an hour of the photograph taken. Work on this would begin on July 1. Mr Gill said he was satisfied with the work in other states.

On the reservation of seats for women in Parliament and state legislatures, he said political parties were not “earnest” over it and through their “overcleverness” they were postponing the issue.

He said there was no need for a constitutional amendment for this purpose. If Parliament, through a simple majority, amended the Representation of the People Act, stipulating that the recognition of the political parties, which did not field a specified number of women as their candidates would be withdrawn, it would go a long way in ensuring reservation.

He said his suggestion that President’s rule should be promulgated in the states before the poll would also help in the conduct of a fair poll. But for this, appointments for constitutional posts like Governors and Election Commissioners should be done in consultation with the opposition leaders so that everybody had faith in the system.

Asked about the EC’s ban on convicted persons contesting the elections, even if they had challenged it, Mr Gill said the commission had only implemented the provisions in the Representation of the People Act.

The commission could not do anything directly on this, Mr Gill said, adding that it was the discretion of the returning officer to decide about the qualification of the contesting candidates.

Mr Gill, who had discussions with the representatives of the political parties here, said parties wanted a single day polling in the state. The EC would decide about it at its full sitting, he said.

Evading a direct answer to a question whether the assembly poll in Tamil Nadu, due in May next year, would be advanced, he said the EC had the right to hold the Assembly poll in the state at any time during the last six months of the tenure of the House.