Parties want polls before Bohag Bihu

AASU pushes for electoral roll based on updated NRC

by Our Staff Reporter & Agencies

Guwahati, Dec 21: The full team of the Election Commission led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) sim Zaidi arrived in Assam on Monday to assess the preparedness ahead of next year's legislative assembly elections.

Accompanied by the two Election Commissioners AK Joti and OP Rawat, Zaidi met leaders of various political parties and organizations.

Most of the parties in the State appealed to the poll panel to hold the elections before Bohag Bihu celebrated in mid-April.

"We met the Election Commission full bench today (Monday) and requested them to hold the elections before Rongali Bihu. We also appealed to them to hold the election in two phases," said Asom Ga Parishad (AGP) general secretary Durga Das Boro.

Leaders from other political parties - Bharatiya Jata Party (BJP), Congress, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), tiolist Congress Party (NCP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF) -- also met the poll panel team.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), however, appealed to the commission to hold the elections after Rongali Bihu so that people can enjoy their favourite festival.

An AASU delegation led by its chief advisor Sammujal Bhattacharya also met the commission. It urged the commission to prepare the electoral rolls on the basis of the updated tiol Register of Citizens.