The Hindu : Situation conducive to polls: Bhandari

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 20, 2002

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Situation conducive to polls: Bhandari

New Delhi Aug.19. In sharp contrast to the Election Commission's view on the Gujarat Assembly polls, the Governor, S.S. Bhandari, today asserted that a "normal situation prevailed in the State for holding elections", and said that President's rule "is not a remedy".

Mr. Bhandari, who met the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, said, "The new Assembly has to be constituted by October, which is the six-month period stipulated for this purpose. We have to await now the verdict of the Supreme Court."

On the imposition of President's rule recommended by the Election Commission, he said "President's rule is a consequential step. It will depend on the political activities going on. So President's rule is not a remedy; it is a stop-gap arrangement and it does depend on the normality or otherwise in the State," he said.

On the situation in the State, he said, "Hindus and Muslims are living in the same `mohallas' where they used to live before. Even then, if Muslims in certain localities feel that the area polling booth is unsafe for them, special arrangements can be made easily for casting their votes."

Saying that life was normal in the State, Mr. Bhandari said, "I am in contact with every section of society and I attend their programmes not only in Ahmedabad but also in other places in Gujarat."

"Communal harmony is not complete, I agree but there is no communal divide," he said. The Governor said that except in three camps in Ahmedabad which too were in residential areas of the affected people, "the situation is normal. Some compensation claims have not yet been finalised and the process is being speeded up."

On the incidents of violence, he said that barring a few stray cases, the situation was normal. — PTI

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Situation conducive to polls: Bhandari