The Hindu : Karnataka News : Top leaders meet EC today

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Tuesday, Mar 04, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Top leaders meet EC today

S. Rajendran

Congress leaders discuss party’s stand before the meeting

BANGALORE: Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami and the two other election commissioners S.Y. Quraishi and Navin Chawla will meet representatives of political parties here on Tuesday to hear their views on the election calendar for the Karnataka Assembly elections. If the State election machinery is ready to hold the elections at the earliest, political parties are divided on the matter.

The differences among the three major parties —the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular) over the timing of the elections is evident. While the Congress leadership is not in favour of elections now, the BJP is ready for the polls.

The JD(S) has demanded that the Election Commission stick to the Constitution and the rules governing the elections.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president M. Mallikarjun Kharge told The Hindu that the Congress was not convinced by the “cut and paste” policy being followed in the revision of electoral rolls.

“Revision of electoral rolls following the fresh delimitation of constituencies is a long-drawn exercise. We want a door-to-door enumeration ,” he said.

Meanwhile, AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka and Union Minister Prithiviraj Chavan arrived in Bangalore for a late night sitting with the State Congress leaders and to chalk out the party’s stance during the meeting with the full Election Commission.

The former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa told a press conference in Bangalore that the Election Commission should hold the elections in the State before the May 28 deadline and said lapses in the voters’ list could be corrected even on the last day for withdrawal of nominations. A group of BJP leaders led by State unit president D.V. Sadananda Gowda would meet the Election Commission and submit a memorandum requesting them to hold the elections within the stipulated date for fulfilling Constitutional obligations.

JD (S) State unit president N. Merajuddin Patel would call on the Election Commission seeking elections before the May 28 deadline and present similar arguments as that of the BJP.

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