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EC's directive to 3 state govts

The Election Commission today directed the governments of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh not to hold conferences of development officers.

This is likely to be perceived as an opportunity to the ruling parties to influence the electorate for the December 29 legislative council elections from the local bodies's constituency, the Commission said.

In identical directives despatched to the three states's chief secretaries, the Commission ''strongly advised'' them to cancel any such ''development conferences'' if they had been scheduled and confirm compliance with its order immediately.

The Commission took strong objection to reports about the Uttar Pradesh government organising ''development conferences''.

''The Commission is of the view that the government would be well advised not to organise development officers's conferences, who directly or indirectly sanction schemes or release funds for the local bodies.

Besides, these officers would also be involved directly or indirectly with some or all of the electoral process and therefore should be free to focus on ''this important work'' till the completion of elections'', the order said.

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