Voter's list to include photos : EC

Kopargaon, June 14 (UNI) Voter lists has been modified to include photographs of voters and the new lists will come into force from the next general elections.

This was announced by chief election commissioner B B Tandon at Shirdi today.

Mr Tandon further added that the procedure of giving on-line identity card which has already been implemented in, in West Bengal and some other states, will be done in Maharashtra too.

Maharashtra lags behind in this regard, Mr Tandon said. ''This flaw will be cured in the next election,'' he added.

When asked whether election of Legislative Council will be held as was done in the case of Rajya Sabha polls, he said, ''Secrecy in the RS elections was terminated and the condition that the candidate must be a resident of the state from where he is to be elected has also been cancelled.'' However, a writ petition against his decision has been filed and is pending in the Supreme Court. Subject to the decision, the amendment will be finalised. As such, no change is possible immediately in the election of Legislative Council, Mr Tandon said.

Earlier, Shri Saibaba Sansthan at Shirdi's trustee Ashok Khambekar honoured Mr Tandon and presented a statue of Saibaba to him.

Ganesh Patil, deputy district election officer, Dnyaneshwar Khilari, sub-divisional officer, were among other high officials present on the occasion.

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