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Saturday, Oct 13, 2007
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Gopalaswami must keep off Gujarat polls: PIL

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi: The Gujarat Mukti Vahini on Friday moved the Supreme Court seeking to restrain Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami from interfering in the conduct of the Assembly polls, in view of his close friendship with Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

The public interest litigation petition filed by Manzoor Ali Khan, president of the non-governmental organisation, will come up for hearing later after Dasara holidays.

“Friendly ties”

The petition said the CEC had friendly ties with Chief Minister Modi, and as a former IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, “he knows most of the bureaucrats, IPS officers and politicians of Gujarat.” This generated “a genuine apprehension in the minds of voters that the Assembly elections in December would not be conducted in a fair manner.”

The petition alleged that the CEC might influence the fairness and independence of the polls.

It said: “The CEC has been entrusted with vast powers that if these powers are not exercised fairly, the same may tilt the electoral balance in favour of a particular political party or an individual.”

The petition said the NGO had made a representation to the CEC requesting him to dissociate himself from taking any decision on the Gujarat polls, but there was no reply.

It sought a direction to the Centre and the Election Commission to ensure free and fair elections.

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