Saturday, January 22 2005 16:45 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) today (Jan 22, 2005) said conduct of elections in Bihar, Jharkhand and Haryana posed a "daunting challenge" in view of the politico-criminal nexus in these States and expressed concern over free movement of criminal elements threatening to spread fear in voters minds.

"The nexus between criminal elements and political leaders is providing a daunting challenge in the conduct of election especially in these three important States," Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishna Murthy told a seminar on 'Electoral reforms' in New Delhi.

"What is worrying me is the impunity with which criminal elements are moving about in some areas of this country threatening to spread fear in the minds of the voters," Murthy said adding precious innocent lives were lost during polls because of the freedom with which these criminals were spreading the "reign of terror".

It was rather strange that while in States like Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala elections took place without any major problem inspite of the sizeable voting population, he said.

"There are some other States where we are unable to conduct one day poll due to want of large number of security forces required to maintain law and order to control to a large extent the criminal elements from interfering with the election process," he said.

Non-bailable warrants were pending execution in large numbers in these States, he added.