New Delhi, April 14
Chief Election Commissioner, T.S. Krishna Murthy will visit Ranchi tomorrow to review the preparations for the Lok Sabha poll in the state.
During his stay in the Capital of Jharkhand, the CEC will hold meetings with leaders of political parties and civil and police officials on the preparations for the conduct of free and fair poll in the state.
Polling in the state will be held in two phases with six parliamentary constituencies going to polls on April 20 and the remaining eight constituencies going to polls on April 26.
This will be the first parliamentary poll in Jharkhand after the state was carved out from Bihar.
Meanwhile, the EC has directed that the expenditure incurred on security arrangements like barricades and rostrums for campaigning by leaders are to be credited to the candidate in whose constituency the meeting takes place or to a group of candidates who are present.
In cases where there were more than one candidate of the political party present at the time of the meeting of the leader, the expenditure would be apportioned equally among all, the EC said in a letter to Chief Electoral Officers of all States and Union Territories.
The District Election Officer where such a meeting takes place should obtain the final costs from the government agencies concerned within three days of the event and intimate to the candidates their respective share of expenditure, it said.
Where such construction of rostrums or barricades were done on account of security considerations by the candidates or the political party from their own funds, the amount would be reflected in the accounts of the candidate concerned or a group of candidates present in the meeting of the leader.
In all cases where the construction of barricades or rostrums was being done by government agencies, the candidate or political parties would deposit the estimated cost in advance, it said.
For expenditure already incurred on such items between the date of notification issued for the first and second phases of elections, the DEOs concerned should immediately take action and inform the concerned candidates.
