The Hindu : Governor's nod to CEO on polls

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Governor's nod to CEO on polls

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, MARCH 22. The Governor, T.N. Chaturvedi, on Monday gave the clearance to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Abhijit Dasgupta, to issue the official notification for holding the elections to the 28 Lok Sabha and 224 Assembly constituencies in the State.

According to the Joint Chief Electoral Officer, H.C. Nagendra, the Governor has cleared the proposal of the CEO for holding elections and the same would be notified on March 24. With that, the process of conducting elections along with the calendar of events would be officially announced by him.

The Congress MLC, Nirmala Venkatesh, had urged the CEO to revoke its order asking the State Government to withdraw her personal staff and other facilities. Asked whether similar facilities enjoyed by the 12 Rajya Sabha members from State would also be withdrawn, the Joint CEO said he had no information about it.

He said the Deputy Commissioner of Bangalore Urban had been instructed to conduct an inquiry into the allegations by the Bellandur village panchayat chairman, Jagannath, and others that the Social Welfare Minister, A. Krishnappa, was issuing Ashraya site allotment orders in Varthur hobli.

It was alleged that gomal lands was being used for the purpose. The Deputy Commissioner's report was yet to be received.

He said the authorities had been asked to remove the hoardings highlighting the work under the Prime Minister's Gram Sadak Yojana.

Only the Election Commission could decide on an issue such as allowing campaigning and public meetings in areas, which were experiencing extreme heat conditions such as Raichur in the State.

Normally, the campaigning should stop at 10 p.m. and there was no relaxation on that in rural areas.

Mr. Nagendra said it were the returning officers who allotted symbols to candidates of regional parties or Independent candidates. There were 70 free symbols on the list of the commission in the State.

He said it was for the deputy commissioners and superintendents of police in the districts to post more security personnel at sensitive and hyper-sensitive booths.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka