The Hindu : CPI hails SC verdict on electoral law

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 15, 2003

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CPI hails SC verdict on electoral law

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI MARCH. 14. The Communist Party of India today suggested that all political parties and Parliament "gracefully accept" the Supreme Court judgment striking down the amended electoral reforms law.

The party general secretary, A.B. Bardhan, said here that its MPs had moved amendments in Parliament which were negated. "Voters have a right to know their candidates. So be it. Let information be supplied about the candidates' criminal antecedents if any, assets and liabilities and educational qualifications at the time of filing nominations," he said.

The party argued that since no distinction was made in the laws between criminal acts and those arising from agitation on peoples issues that candidate should be allowed to state also the nature of the offence for which there was a case against on him on her. And no returning officer should have the power to disqualify a candidate, as was provided in the earlier Election Commission's order.

Briefing correspondents on the outcome of the party's national executive here earlier this week, Mr. Bardhan observed that the work of Delimitation Commission has caused serious apprehensions and created complications in several states.

While welcoming the constitution of the commission, the CPI expects more transparency in its work and more public hearing so that people get adequate information. It said the associate members in the commission should be really associated in its work.

Giving details about the Bharat Jan Jagran Yatra during April-May, 2003, Mr. Bardhan said the party leaders would head five main "jathas". The party's national secretaries, D. Raja and Atul Kumar Anjaan, will lead one jatha each on April 8 from Kanyakumari to Delhi and Moirang-Imphal to Delhi.

Amarjeet Kaur would lead the Srinagar-Delhi jatha on April 23, while the one from Goa would be led by Govindrao Pansare and another from Mumbai would be headed by former MP, Nagendra Nath Ojha.

All along the route, the party has planned 50 big rallies which would be addressed by all-India party leaders and about 400 town and village public meetings. The party will also approach other Left and democratic parties and prominent citizens to join the public meetings and receptions along the way. All jathas will culminate in a rally at the Talkatora Stadium here on May 9. The purpose of the rally is to counter the BJP and the Sangh Parivar's "vicious communal, fascist ideological, political and cultural offensive which divide our people, and its virulent economic offensive which serve the interests of domestic monopoly, and foreign MNCs," the party said.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) has said that the amendments were perfect and the party would consult other political parties before moving ahead.

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