05-11-2007, 06:32 AM
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UP: EC to whisk away winners
11 May, 2007 l 0446 hrs ISTlRAJIV RANJAN JHA /TIMES NEWS NETWORK
LUCKNOW: Trust the big daddy of politicians, the Election Commission, to come out with this one â for the first time in the electoral history of the country, security personnel will whisk away the winning candidates to a "safe place" to ensure there is no horse-trading till the new House is formed on May 14.
Deluged with complaints from small parties and independent candidates, the EC, in an unprecedented move, has sent messages to all DMs and police chiefs of the state to see to it that "vulnerable" winners were not left unguarded. In their complaints, these candidates had expressed fears that once elected, mafia dons and known or alleged criminals associated with bigger parties would "hunt" for them.
"We have arranged for a substantial security force to help the local administration in carrying out this exercise," C M Mishra, OSD to EC, said. It is learnt that the elected members could get security for an even longer period on demand.
Mishra also said that of the 650 companies of the Central forces engaged in conducting elections peacefully, 200 have been asked to stay back in the state till vote counting is over on Friday. Mishra said Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), CRPF, CISF, BSF and state administrative police (SAPs) have been asked to take charge of the counting centres.
Three-tier security arrangement will be in place where counting of votes will take place. The police will cover security outside the centres; PAC jawans within the barricaded areas; while Central paramilitary forces will be guarding the inner areas of the centres.
Like previous elections, winners will be provided with gunners â the difference this time being that protection will be given, instead of waiting for candidates to complete more formalities, immediately after they have collected their certificates.
In another first, the results would be declared by observers deputed by EC; returning officers will merely hand over certificates to winners.
In spite of the presence of nearly 900 candidates with criminal background in the fray, EC managed to conduct a violence-free poll, staggered over seven phases.
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo--> UP: EC to whisk away winners
11 May, 2007 l 0446 hrs ISTlRAJIV RANJAN JHA /TIMES NEWS NETWORK
LUCKNOW: Trust the big daddy of politicians, the Election Commission, to come out with this one â for the first time in the electoral history of the country, security personnel will whisk away the winning candidates to a "safe place" to ensure there is no horse-trading till the new House is formed on May 14.
Deluged with complaints from small parties and independent candidates, the EC, in an unprecedented move, has sent messages to all DMs and police chiefs of the state to see to it that "vulnerable" winners were not left unguarded. In their complaints, these candidates had expressed fears that once elected, mafia dons and known or alleged criminals associated with bigger parties would "hunt" for them.
"We have arranged for a substantial security force to help the local administration in carrying out this exercise," C M Mishra, OSD to EC, said. It is learnt that the elected members could get security for an even longer period on demand.
Mishra also said that of the 650 companies of the Central forces engaged in conducting elections peacefully, 200 have been asked to stay back in the state till vote counting is over on Friday. Mishra said Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), CRPF, CISF, BSF and state administrative police (SAPs) have been asked to take charge of the counting centres.
Three-tier security arrangement will be in place where counting of votes will take place. The police will cover security outside the centres; PAC jawans within the barricaded areas; while Central paramilitary forces will be guarding the inner areas of the centres.
Like previous elections, winners will be provided with gunners â the difference this time being that protection will be given, instead of waiting for candidates to complete more formalities, immediately after they have collected their certificates.
In another first, the results would be declared by observers deputed by EC; returning officers will merely hand over certificates to winners.
In spite of the presence of nearly 900 candidates with criminal background in the fray, EC managed to conduct a violence-free poll, staggered over seven phases.