M A I N   N E W S

Digvijay meets Lyngdoh

New Delhi, March 17
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh today maintained that the suspension of three District Collectors, as ordered by the Election Commission, for alleged irregularities in voter lists could be made only after charge sheets were framed against them by the commission.

“It is not such a big issue. I do not know why the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister are feeling so troubled about it,” he said talking to reporters after meeting Chief Election Commissioner J. M. Lyngdoh, to whom he explained his position on the controversial issue.

Reiterating that the errors were just printing mistakes and not deliberate irregularities in the lists, the Chief Minister said the commission had directed suspension of three District Collectors without a detailed inquiry into the matter. There was no complaint of any sort in the “manuscript”.

Mr Digvijay Singh said had he been indulging in politics or had any ulterior motive there would have been a substantial increase in Congress votes in the list. He pointed out that the lists were first published before inviting objections, after which the final lists would be published.

What the state government had written to the commission by way of an explanation had not been accepted by the commission, he said, adding now that he had given his side to Mr Lyngdoh, it was for the Chief Election Commissioner to take a decision.

Asked about the reported suspension of the three District Collectors ordered by him before meeting the CEC, the Chief Minister shot back, “how can they be suspended without being chargesheeted. It is the commissioner which has to chargesheet them”.

Meanwhile, Election Commission sources said there was no change in its stand on the suspension and disciplinary action against 16 poll officials.

The commission is understood to have told the Chief Minister that the ball was in his court, implying that it was for him to comply with the commission’s directive. UNI