CEC TO CONTAIN MONEY POWER IN POLLS

S.Y. Quraishi, who assumed charge as the 17th Chief Election Commissioner, said that the poll panel would accord priority to restricting the role of money power in elections, which has become a major challenge. Quraishi said the Commission had held a series of discussions among expenditure observers to find out the areas it could focus on to strengthen checks and controls to prevent misuse of money power. “We will come out with detailed guidelines. They are being fine-tuned. By the end of August, they would have been in place. We hope we will be able to tighten control on the use of money power,” Quraishi, a 1971 batch IAS officer, told the media. Enhancing the participation of voters in polls would also receive the commission’s due priority, said Quraishi, who would soon conduct assembly polls in Bihar, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, and Assam.