Monday, February 7 2005 19:50 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: In the backdrop of experience of the first phase of Assembly polls in Bihar, the Election Commission (EC) is contemplating tough action against those poll officials who are found conniving with people indulging in malpractices in the next two phases of the elections in the State.

The Commission has found that presiding officers have not disclosed in their diaries facts about booth capturing or rigging, which amounted to suppression of facts, EC sources said.

It is possible that presiding officers connived or actively involved in booth capturing or silent rigging, they said.

The Commission has detected booth capturing in many polling stations in the first phase of polling in Bihar and ordered repoll in as many as 1007 polling stations.

The Commission is keeping a close watch on presiding officers and poll officials who have been found conniving with booth-capturing or silent rigging or responsible for suppression of facts of booth capturing or rigging, sources said.