The Election Commission today charged Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav with making “unwarranted and motivated’’ allegations to create “ill-will’’ among the voters against the Commission.In a veiled attack on the Election Commission, Laloo had alleged that officials of Dalit and minority communities were being selectively transferred and victimised prior to the polls, which the EC strongly denied as a political campaign to malign its ‘‘fair image’’.Assuming a high moral ground, the Election Commission in its note said that it was below the Commission’s dignity to join issues with the political functionaries who were spreading ‘‘those malicious and highly mischievous’’ allegations.Referring to the electoral photo identity card, the EC said the percentage of distributed EPIC was nearly 72 per cent now and with photographs already taken, this came to more than 78 per cent.Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner B.B. Tandon reviewed the electoral preparations in 10 districts.This was the CEC’s fourth visit to the state. He will soon go back for another tour of the state. The three-member Election Commission led by Tandon will visit parts of the state on September 21 for a comprehensive review of the electoral preparations for the four-phased polling scheduled to begin on October 18.Tandon and Election Commissioners N Gopalaswami and Navin Chawla will go into the poll preparations in those districts where voting will be held in the first and second phases on October 18 and 26.They would have discussions with district magistrates and senior police officials, EC sources said, adding notification for the first phase of polling would be issued on September 23.
