Chhattisgarh forces Madhya Pradesh to change its poll date

     Raipur, October 29, 2008: Security situation in Chhattisgarh have forced the Election Commission today to change the election date of Madhya Pradesh to November 27.

    The decision to change the date of poll of Madhya Pradesh was taken after the Central Election Commission visited both the poll bound states and reviewed the security situation there and especially of the Maoists violence hit Chhattisgarh, Election office sources said today.

    After reassessing the time required for proper de-mobilization and transportation of the Police Forces for elections in Madhya Pradesh after the elections in Chhattisgarh are over onNovember 20, the Commission has now decided to re-fix the poll date in Madhya Pradesh on November 27, instead of November 25, announced earlier, the sources said.

    There was intelligence inputs that the Maoists are planning a large scale violence during the election because of which huge forces are being deployed in the sensitive areas with provisions have been made for aerial surveillance.

    The Commission also said, in Mizoram the poll date had earlier been announced as on November 29, which falls on Saturday. It has been brought to the notice of the Commission that casting votes on that day would be inconvenient for a segment of the people for whom Saturday has some special significance.

    The Commission having considered this input, has decided to re-fix the poll date in Mizoram on December 2. The other stages of elections in Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram remain unchanged.