Jharkhand polls likely after festive season, says CEC

RANCHI: Jharkhand is likely to go for assembly polls along with Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir in November. The term of the third and the current assembly ends on January 2, 2015, and a new house has to be in place before it.
With only three months to go, the Election Commission has directed state authorities to publish the final electoral rolls by the end of this month and also identify hyper-sensitive, sensitive and normal booths within a week.
A high level ECI team reviewed preparations for conducting the assembly elections in the state. The team comprising chief election commissioner V S Sampath and other top officials held series of meetings with state officials and political parties since Monday, when it started its two-day visit. "There are several festivals falling in September and October. Political parties have drawn our attention towards the importance of these festivals in Jharkhand," said Sampat, hinting that the polls would be held in Jharkhand only after October. He added that monsoon is also a major factor for deciding polling dates. Congress and JMM have already demanded that the polls be held after Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath Puja in the end of October.
Sampath was talking to reporters at a press conference organized aftesr he held a marathon meeting with DCs and SPs from all districts along with divisional commissioners, DIGs, IGs and other senior police officers. "The officers have been asked to strictly follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to avoid violence during polls. Our aim is to conduct violence-free and peaceful polls. If all districts adhere to the SOPs, there would be no problem whatsoever," said Sampath.
Sampath added that the EC will hold talks with the Union home ministry for deployment of the maximum possible number of central forces. "Some political parties have complained of bias in deployment of central forces in the parliamentary polls. I have strictly instructed the officers to follow guidelines and avoid any prejudice in deployment of forces," he added.
Sampath complimented officials for the record 64% turnout in the Lok Sabha polls in Jharkhand and said the EC hopes to draw an even higher percentage of voters in the assembly polls. In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the state recorded only 51% turn out. "The electoral rolls will be published by the end of this month, but voters can enroll themselves until 10 days before the last date of filing nominations," said Sampat.
Sampath said in this election the focus would be on providing more and more facilities to voters at polling booths like electricity and the facility of approach roads among other facilities, a check would be kept on fielding of dummy candidates, providing equal advertisement space to all parties, single window system for candidates to get permissions for holding rallies, check on expenditures and flow of cash among other aspects to ensure free and fair polls.