Thursday, August 25 2005 16:56 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Political parties today (Aug 25, 2005) demanded 100 per cent electoral photo identity card coverage, deployment of central para-military forces Central Para-Military Forces (CPMF) at all polling stations, special booths for weaker sections and removal of tainted and ineffective officials for free, fair and peaceful assembly polls in Bihar.

The parties were interacting with the full election commission (EC) headed by the Chief Election Commissioner B B Tandon during their visit in Patna today (Aug 25, 2005).

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Left parties suggested a single phase poll in November, while United Progressive Alliance (UPA) allies Congress and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) favoured a time in January-February.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) said it was always ready for the electoral battle. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sought deletion of names of over 70 lakh 'bogus and duplicate' voters from the electoral rolls, besides bringing into force the model code of conduct for elections with immediate effect to prevent RJD chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, RJD ministers and Governor Buta Singh from 'misusing official functions to campaign for a particular group.'

Emerging from his meeting with the EC, state RJD President Abdul Bari Siddiqui said while it was always ideal to provide electoral photo identity cards to all voters, his party had demanded that the commission ensured that no voter was deprived of his right to franchise only because he did not have it.

Names of labourers migrated shouln't be deleted

It should also ensure that names of labourers and youths who have migrated for reasons of employment were not deleted.

RJD, he said, had suggested the commission to adopt a uniform process for conducting elections in all states. ''We are ready for the poll even if it is held today or tomorrow(Aug 26, 2005). We want that it should be free and fair.''

Senior BJP leaders Nand Kishore Yadav and Navin Kishore Prasad Sinha, after their meeting with the EC said they had urged the commission to enforce the model code of conduct immediately to restrain the central ministers from Bihar from making any policy announcements.

Yadav said the BJP delegation complained to the full commission that over 70 lakh names in the electoral rolls were 'bogus and duplicate' and called for their deletion.

It also demanded that the commission order immediate seizure of alternative identity documents, which were allowed to be issued in the last elections to those who did not have electoral photo identity cards and were still lying with the photo sub-agents, mukhiyas, ward councillors, block development officers, circle officers and district magistrates and ensure that these were destroyed.

State Janata Dal (JD) United (U) president Vijendra Prasad Yadav said his party had suggested to the commission to hold the elections in Bihar in November, preferably on a single day.

It had also demanded deployment of CPMF

It had also demanded deployment of CPMF at all poll buildings, he said.

The Communist Party of India (CPI), CPI-M and CPI-ML (L) too favoured an early poll by November with adequate deployment of CPMF.

State LJP president, Gulam Rasool Baliyavi suggested holding elections in the second week of February in view of the October-November festival season of Hindus and Muslims.

State CPI-ML (L) secretary Ramjatan Sharma, CPI leader Jalaluddin Ansari and CPI-M leader Ganesh Shanker Vidyarthi urged for use of alternative identification documents by voters in case they did not have the photo identity cards.

Congress leader Kripanath Pathak suggested polls in January-February citing the festival season and flood problems as the impediments faced in October and November.