Political parties in the State have insisted on the Lok Sabha polls being held in Tamil Nadu in the first phase of the elections, and that they should be conducted on a single day.
This was conveyed to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Satyabrata Sahoo during a meeting at the Secretariat on Friday.
The meeting with recognised parties in T.N. was held in connection with a special camp to be organised by the Election Commission (EC) on Saturday and Sunday to enable voters to enrol themselves or make corrections or deletions in the electoral rolls. The camp will be held across polling booths — mostly schools.
"The AIADMK has insisted that elections be held in the first phase and on a single day. Other parties too have insisted on the same. We have also asked the Election Commission to ensure that the work being undertaken by the government to address the water crisis is not disturbed. If any urgent work needs to be undertaken, that will also be allowed," AIADMK MLA and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Pollachi V. Jayaraman told reporters after the meeting.
He said the party had asked the EC to use the services of employees from other government departments apart from teachers for election work, as teachers were already being burdened with work.
The DMK's representative R. Girirajan said the party had urged the EC to look into various issues in the electoral rolls. "For example, in R.K. Nagar, in about 15 places, there are dual, triple entries in the voters list. We have given the details to the CEO, and he has ordered the removal of such entries. He has also said State-wide action will be taken if we bring such issues to his notice," he said.
The CPI's representative Periasamy said the party had urged the EC to hold the elections in a free, fair and transparent manner.