Election Commission To Hold Delhi Poll Preparedness Meet on Friday

The Election Commission will hold a "special meeting" on Friday with Delhi's poll and police officials for a comprehensive review of poll preparedness and to discuss important aspects of ensuring free and fair elections on Feb. 8.

A statement from the poll panel said the review meeting at 4 p.m. will be followed by another meeting at 5:30 p.m. with Delhi chief secretary, state home secretary, finance secretary, commissioner of police, special commissioners of police and chief election commissioner of Delhi to review "various important issues related to conduct of peaceful, free, fair and smooth elections".

The review comes against the backdrop of a firing incident near Jamia university. A student from Jamia Millia Islamia was injured when a man fired a pistol at a group of protesters and shouted "Yeh lo azaadi", triggering panic in the area.

The man was subsequently overpowered by the police and detained.

Responding to a question on the law and order situation in the city when the EC had announced the poll schedule on Jan. 6, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora had told reporters, "I won't say we (the Commission) are very sanguine, but we are hopeful that they (police) will be able to control the situation (and make it) conducive for polls."

On Dec. 26 last year, the EC had held a comprehensive review meeting to assess the poll preparedness.