On the request of Haryana BJP, the Chief Election Commission (CEC) has agreed to make provision for local arrangement for giving permission to parties to make use of vehicles or mikes etc. for campaign during the current Lok Sabha elections. The permission was given during a meeting of the representative of the political parties with the CEC Navin B Chawla today.

The CEC is on a two-day visit to Chandigarh to review the arrangements for the smooth conduct of the Lok Sabha election in Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh. The CEC met the recognised national and state political parties to listen to their representations.

Talking to The Indian Express, Gyan Chand Gupta, senior leader of Haryana BJP, said that for every small matter such as use of vehicles or mikes. the political parties had to send their representatives to Ambala to seek permission from the Election Commission. The BJP today demanded that there should be arrangement for local permission for such things, to which the CEC agreed. He directed the Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Sajjan Kumar to give implement the new order.

Gupta said the BJP also complained to the CEC that seven of the party vehicles had been impounded by the Sonepat district administration. The Sonepat administration had acted on behalf of the state government's alleged malafide intention, alleged Gupta. The CEC assured that he would look into the matter, he added.

The BJP's suggestion not to make the photo identity card compulsory for voting was not accepted by the CEC. The CEC was of the view that even if the photograph of the candidate appeared on the voters's list, the photo identity card was a must.

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