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Sunday, Sep 04, 2005

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Recall Buta Singh: NDA

Special Correspondent

`Free and fair elections not possible with present Governor'

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (United) on Saturday once again reiterated their demand that Bihar Governor Buta Singh be recalled as free and fair elections with him in the Raj Bhavan would not be possible.

BJP general secretary in-charge of Bihar Arun Jaitley and Janata Dal (United) spokesperson Shambhu Srivastava made this demand at separate press conferences, pointing out that the Governor's letter to President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam dated April 27 made it clear that he had made up his mind not to allow an NDA government to take office in Bihar.

Both said they would have preferred a shorter election time schedule in Bihar but what was of utmost importance was the availability and deployment of central security forces "at every polling booth in the State," Mr. Jaitley said. He hoped that in a four-phase polling from October 18 to November 19, the large majority of polling booths would be adequately protected.

Mr. Srivastava said that his party wanted a single or two-phase election. Mr. Jaitley noted that the four-phase polling schedule announced by the Election Commission could lead to "fatigue" as the entire process from candidate selection to campaigning, polling and counting of votes would be stretched over two months. However, he welcomed it if it meant better coverage of polling booths by central security forces.

Closely scrutinising the letter written by the Governor to the President, Mr. Jaitley pointed out that he had admitted that the BJP and the JD (U) together were about to lay claim to forming a government, that there was the possibility of the Lok Janshakti splitting.

He blamed the United Progressive Alliance government of taking a hasty decision to dissolve the Bihar Assembly when the NDA was in a position to muster a majority and stake its claim. He also questioned the hurried moves made — Mr. Singh wrote his report sitting in New Delhi and a Cabinet meeting was called at midnight to take a decision on Bihar and the President was asked to sign a proclamation while he was abroad — suggesting that the motive was "political" and aimed at not allowing the formation of an NDA government. "Against this background how can a free and fair poll be conducted," he asked charging the Governor with having a "clear political agenda."

The JD (U) alleged that the Governor would be in a position to influence the poll and therefore he must go.

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