Chief Election Commissioner M S Gill told reporters that the Commission had also asked the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat to seal their borders with the states going to polls on November 25.

Expressing concern over the killing of Ved Singh, Samata Party nominee from Nangloi Jat Assembly constituency in the Capital, Gill said the Commission had directed Delhi police to come down heavily on culprits.

He said the EC held discussions with senior officials of Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR) and asked them to maintain neutrality. Gill said there was a sharp fall of 52 per cent in the number of contestants in the four states from 7,603 in 1993 to 4,997 in 1998 because of thereforms initiated two years ago.

Meanwhile, Election Commissioner G V G Krishnamurthy said in Bhopal that the panel had ordered an inquiry into the allegations of electoral malpractices by the Madhya Pradesh Government.

He told newsmen that a senior IAS officer O P Rawat had been entrusted with the inquiry into the allegation that `b' forms relating to allotment of symbols to 107 Congress candidates were faxed to the returning officers in the State from the residence of Chief Minister Digvijay Singh in Bhopal. The inquiry-report will be available tomorrow, he added.

Krishnamurthy denied reports that the Commission had rejected the allegations made by former Chief Minister Sunderlal Patwa in this regard.

He said the inquiry officer was in touch with the returning officers and with Patwa. Krishnamurthy said the Prime Minister's announcement of Rs 100-crore aid to the Khalsa Panth did not constitute violation of the election code because elections were not being held for Punjab.

The ElectionCommissioner said he was satisfied with the arrangement made in Madhya Pradesh for smooth and peaceful conduct of the poll.