EC determined, Modi relaxed, VHP in no hurry

The Election Commission plans to make special polling arrangements for Gujarat voters who have moved home, including those who have shifted ...

The Election Commission plans to make special polling arrangements for Gujarat voters who have moved home, including those who have shifted out of the state and are not prepared to return to cast votes during the Assembly elections next month.

‘‘Twenty special observers are trying to persuade the voters to return and cast votes in their areas. While some have shifted homes for economic reasons, others have moved out because of the riots,’’ EC sources said.

BJP TO DECLARE ITS GUJARAT NOMINEES TODAY

New Delhi: BJP’S central election committee cleared the names of its candidates for the 135 Gujarat Assembly seats this evening. The names would be made public tomorrow.
Asked about the choice of seat for Chief Minister Narendra Modi, party general secretary Arun Jaitley told reporters after a two-and-half hour meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence that ‘‘you will know it soon’’.
Unlike Gujarat Congress president Vaghela, Modi is sure to contest.
BJP is likely to re-nominate former minister Haren Pandya from Ellis Bridge, earlier eyed by Modi for entering the Assembly in a bypoll after becoming chief minister.
Jaitley said the candidates were finalised on the basis of recommendations made by the party’s state election committee, headed by former chief minister Keshubhai Patel.
The committee discussed each candidate in the light of caste equations in the constituency concerned and Congress nominees. The nominees for the remaining 47 seats will be finalised by the state election committee after its members return to Gandhinagar. ENS

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‘‘If we fail to persuade them, we will then plan special arrangements to let them vote in places they presently live in,’’ the sources said. Some 2.24 lakh voters have been traced to new locations, including those who have moved out of the state. ‘‘Many voters shifted in groups. We have traced some to Indore in Madhya Pradesh. We may include these voters in the poll process through some special arrangements,’’ the sources said.

The EC, which today formally notified the polls saying nominations could be filed until November 25 while fixing November 28 as the last date for withdrawal, is assessing the Gujarat government plan on deployment of security forces in sensitive areas.

Details of the plans were presented today to the full Commission by senior officials of the state, including DGP K Chakravorty, Home secretary Ashok Narayan and chief election officer Gurcharan Singh.

They were in the Capital to follow up Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh’s directive to the state police to draw up an action plan on deployment of Central paramilitary forces and the state police.

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The EC, based on its district-wise study of the state, has already assessed which of the 23 riot-hit districts of the state would require extra forces to ensure peaceful campaigning and elections.

The EC had sought static deployment of additional security forces in riot-affected areas to reassure voters, especially those belonging to the minority communities.

To meet this requirement, the Centre decided to deploy 200 companies of paramilitary forces by November 22. Further deployment could take place a week ahead of the elections.

The Commission would study the action plan and then get back to the state government on whether it finds the plan adequate or not. The nine-hour polling in Gujarat would be completely conducted through electronic voting machines on December 12 and results would be out on December 15.