EC team meet political parties in Tripura

Agartala, Jul 24 (UNI) A three-member Election Commission team headed by Deputy Election Commissioner R Balakrishnan today held meetings with four national parties and one state party to verify complains regarding large scale irregularities in the recently published voter lists of the state.

After the meetings, the team members also met state Chief Electoral Oficer G S G Aiyengar and the Magistrates of all four districts.

The Congress, BJP and Indigenous Nationlist Party of Tripura had lodged complaints with the commission about gross irregularities in the voter lists.

About 42,000 fake names were deleted from the voters' list from the draft electoral rolls recently.

Mr Balakrishnan said that after polling station wise verification of electoral rolls, the two other members of the team will scrutinise them in next two to three days time.

The other members are Commission's under secretary K N Bhar and section officer Anup Kumar. Mr Balakrishnan, who arrived here today would leave tomorrow.

The EC team had meetings with the ruling CPI(M), its partner CPI, opposition Congress, BJP and INPT, a state party.

Later speaking to reporters, Mr Balakrishnan said that about 68 per cent voters have been covered with photo identity card and the rest would done on time to ensure free and fair polling.

The EC team would submit its report of findings to the Chief Election Commissioner soon, he added.

At present there are about 21,8000 (twentyone lakh eight thousand) names enrolled in the voters' lists. About 1.3 per cent voter names were deleted from the recently published electoral rolls, Mr Balakrishnan added.

UNI PB PC RD/KLC1821