New Delhi, March 16
The three-member poll panel headed by Chief Election Commissioner T.S. Krishna Murthy will embark on a three-day visit to the strife-torn state of Jammu and Kashmir on April 1 to review the preparations for the Lok Sabha poll.
EC sources said the commission would visit Jammu, Srinagar and Ladakh during its stay in the state.
As part of the preparatory measure, the Chief Secretary of the state held a meeting with the Election Commission today.
The commission also discussed the panel of names suggested by the state for six deputy commissioners and one SSP, who have been ordered to be transferred by the poll panel.
The commission had ordered the transfer of Deputy Commissioners of Doda, Rajouri, Kathua, Srinagar, Kupwara and Anantnag and the SSP, Jammu, on the basis of complaints and their past records.
The Deputy Election Commissioner, Mr Noor Mohammed, visited the state earlier this month to review the law and order situation and the progress in the preparation of special identity cards and electoral rolls with senior civil and police officials.
Only Jammu and Kashmir has four- phase elections in the country. Baramula and Jammu parliamentary constituency will go to polls on April 20, Srinagar on April 26 and Anantnag on May 5 and Ladakh and Udhampur on May 10.
Meanwhile, the commission said the arrangements for the coming Lok Sabha and four state Assemblies “are going on in full swing.”
The electronic voting machines (EVMs), which will be used in all Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies, are on the way to most of the states, Deputy Election Commissioner A.N. Jha told reporters.
More than one million EVMs will be used in the coming parliamentary elections, the first ballot-less poll in the history of the largest democratic exercise.
Polling will be held in five phases — April 20, 22 (Tripura) and 26 and May 5 and 10. The first of the election notifications will be issued on March 24.
The three-member commission will visit West Bengal tomorrow to review the election arrangements in that state.
The Chief Election Commissioner and the other two commissioners will hold separate meetings with political parties and district collectors and SPs. These would be followed by a meeting with the Chief Secretary and other senior officials and a press conference.
The commission will visit Bihar and Jharkhand some time next week and subsequently go to Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh.
The commission has convened a meeting here on March 19 with 1,500 general poll observers, of whom 1,300 will be on “active duty” in specific constituencies.
On March 18 a meeting will be held with 750 expenditure observers.
On the same day leaders of political parties in Delhi have been invited to have a meeting with the commission. The district commissioners, both revenue and police, the Chief Secretary and the police commissioners would also have a meeting with the commission that day.
