Poll panel rebuffs Kerala chief minister

New Delhi, Nov 6 : The Election Commission Friday rebuffed Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan's statement that central forces will remain in barracks during the by-polls Saturday and said the paramilitary troopers will ensure a free and fair elections.

"This (Achuthanandan's statement) is not correct. The central police forces shall not be confined to the barracks. They shall stand guard at the polling stations on the day of the poll to ensure free and fair election," the commission said in a statement here.

Achuthanandan had Monday said the central forces would remain in the barracks and the people of the state or his party workers would not be intimidated by such "show of force".

The poll panel said it "decides to draft and depute central police forces wherever elections are conducted, on the basis of various inputs that it receives from multiple sources including its observers and the assessment of ground realities".

"Based on this assessment, the ministry of home affairs is asked to provide the requisite police forces. Once these forces are deputed to the commission, then it is the commission which decides as to where and the manner in which the forces shall be deployed for conduct of free and fair polls," the statement added.

"For the conduct of by-elections to 32 assembly constituencies Nov 7, central police forces have been deployed in Assam, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kerala," the panel said.