Instructions issued for state legislative council polls

New Delhi, Jan 4

The Election Commission Monday issued instructions to chief electoral officers (CEO) of six states to conduct free and fair biennial elections to state legislative councils.

Considering the "various complaints" it received in the biennial elections, the Election Commission asked the CEOs of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh to videograph the "poll proceedings."

An Election Commission official said the commission is "now in process" to fix the date of polls.

The persons employed in government/semi government offices and person who is holding a post accruing political benefit should not be allowed to be appointed as election agent/ polling agent/ counting agent of a contesting candidate, said the commission in a release here.

The poll panel said: "No helper or companion should be allowed inside the polling booths for helping the voters except in the case of an illiterate/blind/infirm voter."

"During the poll, all the voters have to produce either voter ID card or any other identity document having photograph of the elector or their identity cards issued by the Local Authorities concerned of which they are members," it said.

The commission also asked the state government not to release any kind of financial grant to the local bodies nor make any announcement to this effect which is likely to disturb "the level playing field".

Last updated on Jan 4^th, 2010 at 23:22 pm IST--IANS

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