As the report of the death of a BJP candidate in Rajasthan came in, the EC has directed the police in the four states going to the polls to tighten the law and order mechanism to prevent any violent incidents before the November 25 elections.

The Commission has also directed the four states, namely Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Mizoram to seal their borders on the polling day to ensure that mischievous elements attempting to disrupt the poll process in any manner are kept out.

Reports from Rajasthan said Ramdev Singh Chowdhury, a BJP candidate from Mundwa Assembly constituency had died. EC officials said Singh had died of natural causes. But in Delhi yesterday a Samata Party candidate from the Nangloi Jat Assembly constituency was killed, raising fears that the pollscould be marred by violence.

Chief Election Commissioner M S Gill told journalists that under the modified electoral law, the poll in these constituencies stands automatically adjourned. The EC would be writing to the parties concerned to nominate substitute candidates in seven days time.

The EC also expressed its concerns about the official media maintaining neutrality in the run-up to the polls. ``We are anxious that Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR) maintain complete and total neutrality to ensure a level playing field,'' he said. The two agencies must take care that their projection of news and other poll-related bulletins do not evoke complaints from the opposition. ``Doordarshan and AIR should uphold the principle of fairness irrespective of who is involved,'' Gill observed.

Emphasising that the tightening of electoral regulations had brought about a dramatic reduction in the number of candidates contesting the polls, Gill said there had been a 52 per cent decline in the total number ofnominations in the four states this year, as compared to the last Assembly elections in 1993.

``This partly a result of the reforms which we pressed for and implemented in the nomination system for independent candidates and the upward revision of the security deposit,'' he said.