New Delhi, Dec 22 : Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi on Wednesday said the poll panel may try to “squeeze in” the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh if schools are not available during the annual examinations held normally in March.
“We can maybe squeeze in the polls a bit. We will see,” Quraishi told PTI when asked if the Election Commission was thinking of holding early elections in UP or will wait for the exams to get over.
The poll process in UP has to be completed by May 13. He pointed out that postponing the examination was not an option and so possibilities of holding polls in a short span may have to be looked into.
Since UP is a big state, assembly polls are usually hold in several phases. In 2007, the elections were held in five phases.
The EC has the option of holding the polls either before March or in April. Another possibility, according to sources, is holding some phases before the exams and some after them. Quraishi said he will hold a meeting soon with the union Home secretary to seek availability of forces for elections in the sensitive state.
Earlier in the day, the CEC held a meeting with CBDT chairperson to streamline the tax machinery for curbing misuse of black money during the forthcoming elections.
