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EC does not rule out violence

GUWAHATI, APRIL 10. The Election Commissioner, N. Gopalaswamy, has not ruled out violence during the coming two-phase Lok Sabha polls for 14 seats in Assam on April 20 and 26.

Talking to reporters here today, Mr. Gopalaswamy said, ``there are underground elements and we do not rule out violence, though it may be of low intensity and far apart''.

``There is a qualitative difference between the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. So we do not expect the same level of violence as during the last Assembly elections here, but we do not rule out any incidents'', he said.

``All forces from the Central Government have reached the State and I have finalised distribution of forces to ensure peaceful polls'', he said.

The State authorities were also coordinating with the Army, already engaged in anti-insurgency operations in the State, in militancy-prone areas.

The Election Commissioner said that though the Army would not to be used for purposes such as guarding polling stations, the troops would help sanitise vulnerable areas.

PTI

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