As the Election Commission will have hectic work next year as it has to hold elections in five States and the polls for the post of the President and the Vice-President, the spade work has already begun in the Nirvachan Sadan, the EC headquarters here.
A top EC official said the Commission, consisting of Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi and Election Commissioners V.S. Sampath and Hari Shankar Brahma, would be in Lucknow on July 20 and would review the poll preparedness for elections to the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly, whose term ends on May 20, 2012. As per law, the EC could decide on holding poll on any day during the last six months of the Assembly’s term. “Normally we begin the poll preparation exercise one year before the actual expiry of the Assembly’s term,” he said.
Other States
Similarly the EC also plans to review preparedness for Assembly polls in Uttarakhand (Assembly term expires on March 12), Punjab (March 14), Manipur (March 15) and Goa (June 14, 2012). It plans to visit Dehradun on August 2 and 3. On August 5 and 6, the Commission will visit Imphal and Panaji on August 16 and 17.
The strength of Punjab Legislative Assembly is 117, Uttarakhand 70, Manipur 60 and Goa 40.
As Uttarakhand Assembly’s term will expire first next year, the Commission is planning to speed up the process.
During the meetings, among other things, the Commission will review works relating to the distribution of the elector photo identity card (EPIC), update of photo electoral rolls, corrections in the EPIC, rationalisation of the polling stations, jobs to be done relating to the summary revision of electoral rolls and positioning of the returning officers/ assistant returning officers. Meetings will be held with the officials, including the Chief Secretary, the DGP, and others involved in poll-related work. The Commission will also hold meetings with the representatives of the recognised political parties during the visit.
While Dr. Quraishi, who will hold office till June 10, 2012, will oversee polls in the five States, the next CEC V.S. Sampath, will have another major task of holding the polls for the post of the President and the Vice-President as the term of incumbent expires on July 25, 2012, and August 11, 2012, respectively.
~ The Hindu
