New Delhi: The Election Commission today (May 17, 2004) issued the notification constituting the 14th Lok Sabha comprising 539 MPs in the 543-member House.

This was announced by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) T S Krishnamurthy along with two other Commissioners B B Tandon and N Gopalaswami before leaving for Rashtrapati Bhawan to submit the list of newly elected members to President A P J Abdul Kalam. While elections were countermanded in Chhapra in Bihar where fresh polling is scheduled for May 31, the results for Lok Sabha seats of Bettiah, Siwan and Outer Manipur are yet to be announced because of re-polling.

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The Commission also put the final voting percentage across the country at 57.86 per cent.

When pointed out that women had only eight per cent representation, the CEC said the Commission had suggested to the Government to ensure adequate representation to women in legislatures.

On criminalisation of politics, the CEC said there was a need to keep away persons who have been chargesheeted for offences punishable with five years or more of imprisonment.

"The Commission hopes that the Government takes electoral reforms as priority number one," Krishnamurthy said.

He said the poll panel would make all efforts to rectify mistakes in electoral rolls by using modern technology.

Describing the elections as largely peaceful, the CEC thanked the polling officials and security forces for ensuring its smooth conduct.