EC likely to announce LS poll schedule at 3.30pm 2nd March

2 Mar 2009

NEW DELHI: The much-awaited schedule for the Lok Sabha elections is likely to be announced this afternoon.

The full Election Commission will address a press conference at 1530 hours and is likely to announce the schedule, PTI reports.

A day after the President rejected the controversial recommendation by Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami for the removal of Election Commissioner Navin Chawla, the Election Commission began discussions today to finalise the schedule for the coming Lok Sabha polls.

The President’s decision will now pave the way for Chawla’s elevation as CEC after Gopalaswami demits office on April 20.

The Election Commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami is deciding the dates of the general elections after completing consultation process with political leaders, home secretary and secretaries of key ministries.

Along with the Lok Sabha schedule, the EC is also likely to announce the schedule for assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Sikkim, PTI adds.

Earlier in the day, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) led by Ajit Singh announced its entry into the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The RLD will have a poll pact with the main NDA constituent the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In a late development on Sunday, the Trinamool Congress formed an alliance with Congress in West Bengal to fight the Lok Sabha elections against the Left Front.
Times of India