EC team in Jharkhand today, poll dates may be out soon

RANCHI: A five-member team of Election Commission of India (ECI) will arrive Ranchi on Thursday as a part of the two-day tour to assess and chalk out modalities for the upcoming assembly polls in Jharkhand. The visit will also help finalise the dates for the election, Jharkhand's chief electoral officer Vinay Kumar Choubey told TOI.
Choubey said, "The team will meet all the stakeholders, including recognised political parties, to gather their views, observations and feedback for the polls." He added, "The one on one meetings with representatives of all the parties will start from 3pm and will go on for an hour."
The ECI team will then sit with state poll body authorities to review the security situation from 4.30pm onwards."This will mostly be an in-house meeting with concerned authorities directly involved with the conduct of the polls," he said.
On Friday, the team will hold meetings with DCs and SPs of all the 24 district in the first half. "Later in the day, they will convene separate meetings with government agencies and institutions like excise, railways, airport and the likes," Choubey said.
A senior official of the state election office said, "We are expecting the announcement of the dates any time after October 24. Probably, the poll bugle will be sounded around Diwali."
Meanwhile, respective districts have already begun preparations for a smooth conduct of the polls. On Wednesday, Ranchi deputy commissioner and district electoral officer, Rai Mahimapat Ray held a meeting with all representatives of the hotel industry in the capital to work out a scheme to offer discounts to customers who vote.