COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

Poll panel pulls up Telugu Desam

The Election Commission has pulled up the Telugu Desam Party for dropping provisions relating to socialism, secularism and democracy from its constitution.

Adherence to these provisions, which is mandatory under Section 29(A) of the Representation of the People Act of 1951, were dropped by the party in March.

Enquiring if any corrective measures had been taken in this regard, the Commission has directed the Telugu Desam to explain its position by December 29. The party would also have to indicate why the party's constitution was amended, dropping these provisions.

In another development, the Commission virtually brought yet another instalment of the Model Code of Conduct into force yesterday. It banned the creation of new districts and directed the states and Union Territories not to make modifications and amendments in the lists of other backward classes during the run-up to the general election.

The Commission also reaffirmed its directive, banning transfer of officials connected with election work and rejected the Uttar Pradesh government's proposals for transferring district magistrates of Varanasi and Gorakhpur. It also directed the UP government not to transfer additional district magistrates and deputy collectors without its concurrence.

EARLIER REPORT:
President's intervention ends poll panel crisis

Tell us what you think of this report