EC extends date of publication of electoral rolls for UP

The EC has only option of holding the UP Vidhan Sabha elections in April and May 2007, reports Umesh Raghuvanshi.

Close on the heels of announcement of poll programme for Uttaranchal, Punjab and Manipur the Election Commission on Friday extended the date of publication of final electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh from January 3, to January 15, 2007.

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The Election Commission now has the only option of holding the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha elections in April and May 2007. The Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy has asserted that the poll process in UP would be submitted by May 14, 2007.

Much significance is being attached to EC's decision to defer the date of publication of final electoral rolls. According to the Chief Election Officer Anuj Kumar Bishnoi the EC has allowed more time for publication of final electoral rolls to all districts.

Some Divisional Commissioners including Commissioner Lucknow RK Mittal had urged the CEC to allow more time for publication of electoral rolls in view of large number of complaints and the need to delete and add names in the final rolls. The CEC however had only pointed out that the EC might only allow two to three day additional times for the purpose.