EC making arrangements for Presidential poll

Chennai, May 18 (UNI) The Election Commission (EC) is making all preparations for the Presidential election and appointing Returning Officers for each and every state, according to Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalsamy.

Talking to newspersons at the airport here last night, he said the date for holding byelection to Madurai West Assembly constituency, necessitated by the death of sitting AIADMK Legislator S V Shanmugham, would be announced shortly.

Mr Gopalsamy, who was here to participate in the public hearing on delimitation of Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies to be held in Madurai today, said the EC had noted the opposition of the people of Southern districts of Tamil Nadu to the draft delimitation of constituencies. The Commission would take a final decision only after eliciting people's opinion during public hearing, he added.

On AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa's letter to the EC seeking appointment of neutral officials to hold Rajya Sabha elections from Tamil Nadu, he said the EC had received her letter and take a decision at the appropriate time.

UNI