Tag: chief election commissioner

Election dates of five states

India
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On 24/12/2011 Election Commission comprising Chief Election Commissioner S. Y. Qureshi and Election Commissioners H. S. Brahma and V. S. Sampath announced election dates for Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Goa. In Uttar Pradesh polling is in seven phases in February 2012. In other states it is one day polling. Polling in Manipur is on 28/1/2012, in Punjab and Uttarakhand on 30/1/2012 and in Goa on 3/3/2012. Counting of votes is on 4/3/2012.

There was no need to club five elections together. In Uttar Pradesh polling should have been on a single day. Election Commission is for elections, elections are not for Election Commission. Terms of Legislative Assemblies expire at different dates in the five states and elections should have been held accordingly. Terms of Legislative Assemblies of Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Goa expire on 12/3/2012, 14/3/2012, 15/3/2012, 20/5/2012 and 14/6/2012 respectively. Voting should be one week before the expiry of the term. Counting of votes in Manipur, Punjab and Uttarakhand and should have been after the day of polling. Security guards have to guard EVMs for more than a month. These are state elections and people vote as they want irrespective of the results of other states. Those who think voters will be influenced by what happens in other states are wrong. There is no point in holding elections two or three months before the expiry of Assembly term.

Congress and TV channels knew beforehand that Election Commission will announce elections on 24/12/2011. On 22/12/2011 UPA government announced 4.5% minority quota for Muslims with 27% OBC quota. It is possible that somebody from Election Commission had leaked the information. Sometimes CECs and Election Commissioners have been partisan. In 1991 T. N. Seshan postponed elections for Punjab Lok Sabha constituencies by three months and three days to suit Congress. Navin Chawla’s predecessor did not want him to become CEC and had accused him of leaking information. Two former CECs joined political parties. One of them got elected to Rajya Sabha and was minister. It is a different matter whether granting of minority quota will benefit Congress. Some Muslim leaders said 4.5% was not enough. Pramod Verma, a Congress leader, resigned from the party in protest against 4.5% minority quota.

Mayawati did not want elections in February. Uttarakhand has cited extreme cold conditions in January and has asked for postponement of voting to last week of February. Election Commission should not ignore state governments while holding Assembly elections.

Politicians and phone tapping

India
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On 23/4/2010 Outlook reported that phones of four politicians were tapped. They were Digvijay Singh, Nitish Kumar, Prakash Karat and Sharad Pawar. The period stretched from February 2007 to April 2010. Vinod Mehta, editor of Outlook, claimed his sources were impeccable.
It is difficult to believe that over four years and two months phones of only four politicians were tapped. Either the sources did not give full information to Vinod Mehta or Vinod Mehta had held back some information.
Who were the other persons whose phones were tapped? How many phones were tapped during 2009 elections and how much UPA benefit from it? Why is no BJP leader mentioned?
It is possible that Advani’s phone was tapped and Congress came to know about his hopes of UPA’s fall and NDA forming government with him as prime minister.
It is possible that phones of Amar Singh and Mulayam Singh Yadav were tapped and the information received was useful in making SP support UPA during trust vote. It is possible that Mayawati’s phone was tapped.
It is possible that phones of BJP members who defied party whip to vote against trust motion in July 2008 were tapped and there was something that Congress leaders knew about them.
It is possible that phones of five independent MLAs who were party of NDA government in Jharkhand were tapped and there was something that Congress leaders knew about them that made the MLAs quit NDA and join UPA and form the government headed by Madhu Koda.
It is possible that phones of leaders of various political parties were tapped during 2009 elections and Congress leaders knew about their strategies.
It is possible that phones of Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners were tapped during 2009 and other elections and Congress leaders knew about election schedules in advance. One CEC had accused an EC of leaking secrets and had recommended his dismissal. The EC was promoted as CEC.
It is possible that phones of journalists were tapped.
What do Vinod Mehta’s impeccable sources have to say about the above possibilities?
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