The Hindu : National : Janata Dal (United) wants single-phase elections in Bihar

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Friday, Dec 24, 2004

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Janata Dal (United) wants single-phase elections in Bihar

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, DEC. 23. The Janata Dal (United) leaders led by its president, George Fernandes, today met the Chief Election Commissioner, T.S. Krishnamurthy, and sought a single-phase election in Bihar. The State goes to polls on February 3, 15 and 23 next year.

The JD (U) leaders appealed for polling on a single day to prevent misuse of government machinery by the ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).Besides Mr. Fernandes, the chairman of JD (U) Parliamentary Party, Sharad Yadav, and the former Ministers, Nitish Kumar and Digvijay Singh, were present.

Later speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Yadav said that polling over three days was stretched and would afford an opportunity to the ruling party to misuse government machinery in favour of its candidates. Mr. Yadav had faced the RJD president, Lalu Prasad, in Madhepura (Bihar) in the Lok Sabha elections.

He said that they made the CEC aware of their apprehensions that the ruling RJD would deploy its own government and police officials at sensitive booths. "Besides we raised the issue of insistence on identity cards for voters and denial of voting right to those who did not have identity cards."

The leaders welcomed the Election Commission's action against the RJD for the alleged breach of the model code of conduct and the action against publicity hoardings.

On the CEC's response, Mr. Yadav said the poll dates had been set as per the availability and deployment of paramilitary forces in Haryana and Jharkhand, which also go to polls at the same time.

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