Express News Service
LUCKNOW: Reviewing the preparations for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the full bench of Election Commission of India headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra met senior administrative and police officials in the state on Wednesday.
After going through the revised electoral lists and analysing the ratio of male and female voters in the state, the poll panel met divisional commissioners, district magistrates, district electoral officers, inspectors general, commissioners and superintendents of police of all 75 districts at Tilak Hall of the UP Vidhan Bhawan.
With reference to seizure of a huge amount of cash stashed on the premises of Kanpur-based businessman Piyush Jain, the election commission asked the top officials to be vigilant over circulation and use of black money during the upcoming polls. The officials were also asked to be vigilant in the border districts and to keep a close tab on smuggling of illegal liquor, especially in towns of western UP.
On Thursday the poll panel will hold a series of meetings with the chief secretary and the director-general of police. The EC on Tuesday held meetings with representatives of various political parties who all urged the panel to hold the elections as per schedule. The CEC is accompanied by election commissioners Rajiv Kumar and Anup Chandra Pandey besides other senior officers.
During the meeting with the EC, representatives of SP, BSP, Congress and RLD demanded transfer of state government officers who, they claimed, were working on the directions of the BJP. Seeking a vigilant eye on the misuse of government machinery by the ruling party, the opposition sought strict imposition of model code of conduct once the election is announced.
