NEW DELHI: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)
O P Rawat on Friday dismissed predictions that
Telangana could go to polls in October, adding that any astrological predictions made over the dates will not be taken into account.
The CEC, referring to certain news reports, clarified that any predictions made are not at all acceptable to the Election Commission (EC).
"In a section of media, an outgoing constitutional dignitary predicted schedule of elections. He said it will be announced in October ,voting will take place in November and results will be announced in December. That’s totally unacceptable to EC," said the CEC.
Following its meeting on the subject of conducting early elections in Telangana, the EC on Friday evening announced that it will send a team to submit a report on state's poll preparedness.
"A team will be visiting Telangana on September 11 to assess the situation in the state regarding poll preparedness after the dissolution of the state legislative assembly. The team will submit its report to the Commission after completion of the visit," said EC in a statement.
The team will be headed by senior DEC Umesh Sinha who will be visiting Hyderabad on Tuesday ie September 11, 2018 and will give its report to the Commission after the visit. According to sources in the EC, availability of EVMs/VVPATs, status of rolls etc will be assessed. Around 40,000 machines are needed to conduct polls in Telangana, said sources.
In a media statement given earlier in the day, Rawat, quoting the presidential reforms that he had submitted in the Supreme Court in 2002 said that a dissolved house should go to election at the earliest occasion possible.
"The Supreme Court has ruled clearly that in case of the House dissolution, polls should be held on the first occasion because caretaker governments cannot continue and get the advantage. You cannot dissolve the House and continue for six months as a
caretaker government," Rawat had said hours before the Commission's meeting .
"Elections have to be held as soon as possible. A decision will be taken keeping in mind various court rulings on the issue and prevailing ground reality," the CEC had said adding that the Commission holds poll within the legal framework to ensure they are free, fair and credible.
Assembly elections are due in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram later this year. The term of the Telangana Assembly was ending on June 19, 2019 but the Telangana Rashtra Samiti government chose to dissolve it, seeking early polls.
(With inputs from agencies)
