New Delhi, April 30
Concerned over the large-scale violence and electoral malpractice during polling, the Election Commission today ordered videography in 14 sensitive constituencies in Uttar Pradesh including Lucknow from where Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is contesting and also ordered repoll in 25 polling stations in Siwan, Bihar, tomorrow which witnessed large-scale violence during the second phase of polling.
And, in a move to prevent undue advantage to filmstars who have entered to electoral arena in large numbers this time, the poll panel directed the Doordarshan not to show films of artistes who are either contesting or campaigning for any political party in the ongoing general election.
The commission ordered the videography for those constituencies in UP which goes to poll on May 5 and 10. The key constituencies where videography has been ordered include Mainpuri from where UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav is contesting, Allahabad where HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi is seeking re-election and Sambhal and Kannauj where Mulayam Singh Yadav's son Akhilesh and brother Ram Gopal Yadav are in the fray.
The other constituencies are Baghpat, Etawah, Hathras, Firozabad, Badaun, Banda, Bulandshahr, Meerut and Sitapur.
The commission has also appointed two Inspectors General of Police to supervise the law and order and other security arrangements during the polling in the state, EC sources said.
While one of the IGPs would be in charge of Banda, Hamirpur and Chitrakoot districts, the other would take care of Etawah, Mainpuri, Kannauj and Firozabad, the sources said.
Elections in Allahabad, Banda, Etawah, Kannauj,
Mainpuri, Firozabad, Hathras and Sitapur would be held on May 5 whereas Sambhal, Badaun, Meerut, Bulandshahr and Baghpat go to polls on May 10.
The commission decided to hold repolling tomorrow
in 25 polling stations in Siwan Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar, rejecting BJP demand for countermanding of elections.
The BJP had earlier alleged large-scale violence in the constituency during the polling on April 26.
Controversial RJD leader Mohammad. Shahabuddin is seeking re-election from the constituency, where he is pitted against Om Prakash Yadav of JD(U).
In response to a query by Prasar Bharti, the Election Commission directed Doordarshan not to screen films of artistes who are either contesting or campaigning for any political party in the ongoing general election.
“The commission has decided not to allow the exhibition of films of artistes who have joined politics and are either contesting candidates or campaigning for any political party,” the commission said in its reply to Prasar Bharati, which sought its clarification on the issue last week.
The commission directed the public broadcaster to strictly adhere to its order till the elections are over, EC sources said.
Meanwhile, JD(U) and Samata Party today demanded that the Election Commission should order deployment of central forces in all the booths for May 5 polls in Madhepura, Bihar, where Union Minister Sharad Yadav is pitted against RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav.
“We appeal to the EC that for ensuring free and fair poll in Madhepura, all state government staff should be removed from poll duty and the security should be entrusted only to paramilitary forces,” JD(U) spokesman Shiv Kumar told reporters.
Samata Party national General Secretary and spokeman L.N. Chanchal told reporters that effective measures need to be taken in Bihar where “state sponsored” rigging marred the first two phase of poll.
