SP wants EC to relax Election I-card norms

Lucknow, Feb 26 (UNI) The ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) today asked the Election Commission (EC) to relax norms on Election Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) for the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Talking to reporters here, senior SP leader and state PWD Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav said EC should not make EPICs mandatory until the entire electorate of the state was provided with the same.

UP has around 11.43 crore voters and according to EC, only 75.71 per cent of the voters have been provided with the I-cards so far.

''EC should relax the norms and allow use of the 14 alternative documents to prove a voter's identity,'' he added.

Seven phase poll process in UP begins on April 7.

Mr Yadav said the SP has authorised its central parliamentary board to hold talks with the Left parties, including CPI and CPI (M) on the issue of seat sharing. ''They will hold talks and take a final decision,'' he added.

He claimed that SP would win over 250 seats in the Assembly polls.

''Our main challenge is BJP...BJP will come second and way behind SP,'' the minister asserted.

He also congratulated the party legislators for helping SP win the trust vote earlier today in the State Assembly.

UNI