Hazare to take up poll reforms with EC

OFFICIALS EXPRESSED THEIR HELPLESSNESS IN MAKING POLLS CLEANER BECAUSE GOVT HAD NOT ACTED ON MANY OF

THE SUGGESTIONS

NEW DELHI: Social activist Anna Hazare will take up the cause of electoral reforms on behalf of the Election Commission in the forthcoming general elections.

Hazare met EC officials on February 18 in Delhi and assured them of bringing to the forefront electoral reforms during his campaign for some independent candidates and those of the Trinamool Congress.

“Hazare has assured the commission he will try to create a public opinion in favour of electoral reforms,” said Yashwant Prakash, who is a close aide of the social activist.

According to sources, commission officials had expressed their helplessness in making Indian polls cleaner because the government had not acted on many of its suggestions.

“We have repeatedly asked the government to bring in changes in laws and rules to debar criminals from contesting polls and give us more powers to check the growing influence of black money in polls. But not much has been done,” an official said.

The commission had sought the powers to regulate political parties to ensure higher accountability. It also wanted to make electoral offence a non-cognizable offence, meaning that it should result in a jail term.