Tuesday, May 24 2005 20:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Election Commission is sending a team to Bihar, where the Assembly has been dissolved, on Friday (May 27, 2005) to assess the State's poll preparedness and a decision on the timing of the elections is likely to be taken next week.

The two-member team will make an on-the-spot survey of the logistical support and time needed by the State administration to prepare for the elections, EC sources in New Delhi said today (May 24, 2005).

The team, consisting of Deputy Election Commissioner Anand Kumar and EC's legal advisor S K Mahendiratta, will interact with representatives of political parties and senior civil and police officials in the State before submitting its report on Monday (May 23, 2005), the sources said.

This report, along with some other inputs, will form the basis on which the EC will decide next week the timing of the polls, they said.

The decision to despatch the team to Bihar was taken at a meeting of the full Commission chaired by Chief Election Commissioner B B Tandon here today, a day after the State Assembly was dissolved.

The EC had said yesterday that it would make an assessment of all relevant factors like weather, festivals, school schedules, training of poll personnel and movement of security forces and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) before deciding on the poll schedule.

According to available indications, elections in the State are likely to be held sometime in September or October.