Chennai, February 26 Ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar held consultations with political parties here on Thursday, and most of them requested that the elections be conducted in a single phase, EC officials said.
The parties sought stringent measures to curb the use of money power and the distribution of freebies during elections, they said.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, along with state Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik and senior officials of the Commission, held discussions with recognised national and state-level political parties here.
They also held a detailed and comprehensive review of poll preparedness with officials for the forthcoming Tamil Nadu legislative Assembly elections.
Most political parties appreciated the EC for the peaceful and smooth conduct of the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu, the officials said.
"Most political parties requested the EC to conduct elections in a single phase," they added.
Representatives of Aam Aadmi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Congress and National People's Party took part. As regards state parties, AIADMK, DMK, DMDK, Naam Tamizhar Katchi and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi took part.
The assembly election is due in TN in April this year.
Political parties urged the commission to take stringent measures to curb the use of money power and the distribution of freebies during elections. Some political parties sought an increase in the number of flying squads to curb malpractices during elections.
Gyanesh Kumar assured all the political parties that elections are always held as per law in a free, fair and transparent manner. The CEC assured all the parties that EC shall firmly clamp down on all inducement-related activities.
Parties also urged the EC to keep in mind the festival dates while finalising the dates for the election, and Kumar assured that it would be taken into account.
Following interaction with the political parties, the top officials of the commission held a detailed review with the heads/nodal officers of enforcement agencies, IGs, DIGs, DEOs, SPs on every aspect of election planning, EVM management, logistics, training of election staff, seizures, law and order, voter awareness and outreach activities.
An official release here said: "The Commission also directed all DEOs, SPs, to prioritise voters’ comfort and accessibility at polling stations, and impart robust training to officials and ensure wide awareness about electoral processes."
"The commission also directed the officers to ensure absolute impartiality and act without fear or favour and underscored that there will be zero-tolerance towards any deviation from the laws, rules and related elections with respect to the conduct of elections."
