BJP urges for one-day polling
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 25 2011: The BJP Manipur State unit has urged the Election Commission of India to conduct the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly elections on a single day for both the hills and valley, and also to use only central paramilitary forces.

After apprising Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on the prevailing situation in Manipur, BJP State unit president Sh Shantikumar, vice-president Prof S Tiken and the State secretary called on the Chief Election Commissioner in-charge Verma yesterday and submitted a five-point memorandum.

Addressing a press conference at their office here today, Shantikumar and Prof Tiken conveyed that the ECI in-charge Verma gave the assurance to put in all possible efforts to translate into action all the points of the memorandum.

The main points of the memorandum were holding elections in both the hills and valley on the same day, and deploying only central paramilitary forces in all polling stations.

Video coverage of all polling stations, initiating prompt legal action against wrong-doers, confinement of all UG cadres who have signed pacts with the Government in their respective designated camps and effective control on spending monumental amounts in the elections were other points of the memorandum, they said.

Conveying about the ECI's assurance to put in maximum efforts to translate all these points into action, the BJP leaders said that they also urged the ECI to transfer all Government employees away from their parent districts, and also to collect all licensed as well as illegal guns ahead of the elections.

By conducting polling on the same day, the practice of casting votes twice or more by a single voter can be checked in addition to preventing political leaders from campaigning at different places.

The polling can be made free and fair by conducting it on the same day.

Talking about their meeting with the Prime Minister together with BJP central leaders, Shantikumar and Tiken said that they urged the Prime Minister to look into the pathetic condition of Imphal-Jiribam highway and BRO's slackness in implementing the highway development work.

To a proposal for setting up a high-power, all party committee to collect first hand account of the prevailing in situation in Manipur, the Prime Minister only said, "Let's see" .

Nevertheless, the BJP leaders exuded that the Prime Minister would certainly do something to address the situation.

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