Friday, August 26 2005 12:30 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), B B Tandon, yesterday (August 25, 2005) termed as 'baseless' the Rashtriya Janata Dal 's (RJD) charge that the Election Commission (EC) was biased against it.

''The charge is baseless. We have never had any prejudice against any party or individual. We are only concerned with holding fair and peaceful elections,'' Tandon said while responding to reporters' queries on RJD allegation that the poll panel was biased against it.

RJD President Lalu Prasad had after the 2004 Lok Sabha polls accused the EC, particularly its advisor K J Rao, of being biased against it for recommending a re-poll in the entire Chapra constituency.

RJD National Spokesman Shivanand Tiwari was also reported to have recently said that the EC's decision making electoral photo identity cards, mandatory for the upcoming Assembly elections, was aimed at depriving the weaker section voters of the party of their right to franchise.

''We will ensure that no genuine voter is deprived of the right to exercise his franchise,'' Tandon said.

Asked to comment on the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) request to bring the Model Code of Conduct into force with immediate effect to prevent alleged misuse of official functions by RJD Ministers in Union Government to campaign for their party, Tandon said, ''The Model Code comes into force only with the announcement of the election schedule and we will ensure its strict adherence by all concerned once it is announced.''

Senior BJP leader and former MLA, N K P Sinha, during his meeting with the CEC yesterday (August 25, 2005) had accused RJD President Lalu Prasad and other Ministers of his party, besides Governor Buta Singh of misusing official functions to campaign for a 'particular group'.