PATNA, February 7: The election commission has resolved to conduct free, peaceful and fair Lok Sabha polls in Bihar and asked state government officials to evolve a strategy for effective use of para-military forces to check "riggings"."I have asked the officials concerned to evolve a best possible method to ensure effective use of the central forces being made available to them to check riggings," chief election commissioner M S Gill said at a press conference here on Saturday.
He, however, refused to specify the strength of the central forces being provided to the state. "We have already sent some companies and we still plan to send some more. I am maintaining constant touch with the Union home secretary on the deployment of central forces. An unhappy trend has developed during the last few elections that the states have started demanding vast forces from the Centre....The central forces are rushed to the states for the purpose of supplementing the security strength," he said.
"There is no reason whythere should be any violence in the forthcoming elections this time," he said. He met several senior state government officers and at least 30 district chief officials and policemen on Friday.
On the alleged partisan role of some state government officials to favour the ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal, Gill said: "It is a well established fact that officials are facing wideranging pressure in their respective states for over the past 50 years but they have to discharge their constitutional obligations in right earnest."
The chief election commissioner said a record 270 civil and police officials of the state have been transferred in Bihar and "we are using all set parameters so that the elections are free, fair and on a level-playing ground".
On the allegations of the opposition parties against RJD president Laloo Prasad Yadav that he was "grossly misusing" the official residence of chief minister Rabri Devi, Gill said: "We will seriously go into the veracity of such complaints which come to us... .and takeappropriate action."
Expressing the commission's determination to strictly enforce Section 134(B) of the People's Representation Act prohibiting carrying of weapons as well as their display within 100 metres of polling stations, he said: "This will be applied uniformly for everybody including candidates and VVIPs." He said the candidates will not be allowed to appoint armed agents and enter the booths with armed guards.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
