New CEC rules out early elections in Bengal

Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi on Friday ruled out advancing assembly polls in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. HT reports.

Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi on Friday ruled out advancing assembly polls in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

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Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee called on Quraishi on Friday seeking advance polling because of "breakdown of the law and order" situation in Bengal, where assembly elections are scheduled in May 2011.

"Nothing in the radar. We come into the picture only six months before the due date. Before that we have no locus standi at all. At the moment, there is no question of Tamil Nadu or West Bengal on our table," Quraishi said after taking over as CEC on Friday.

He is the first Muslim CEC.

Quraishi said that enhancing voters' participation and restricting the role of money power in elections would be his top priorities as head of the Election Commission.

"We are already working systematically to achieve a perfect electoral roll at the earliest," he said.

Paid news
The Press Council of India wants paid news to be categorised as corrupt practice in election laws.

The council on Friday asked the government to amend election laws to declare any payment for publication of news as a corrupt practice.

The council asked the Election Commission to set up a special cell to receive complaints about "paid news" in the run-up to the conduct of elections and initiate a process through which expeditious action can be taken.

"The EC should nominate independent journalists or citizens in consultation with the Press Council to various states and districts," the draft recommendation said.