SEC firm, parties peeved

BHUBANESWAR: As the panchayat poll fever catches on, the latest directive of the State Election Commission (SEC) barring candidates for sarpanch, panchayat samiti and ward from taking the support of any political party while campaigning has put all the political parties in a piquant situation.While the Opposition parties have demanded that the latest directive of the SEC be withdrawn, the BJD is also feeling uncomfortable with the move. The parties have alleged that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and other ministers are flouting the directive during  their public meetings across the State.State Election Commissioner Ajit Kumar Tripathy has announced that there is no question of reconsideration of the directive. It will be implemented strictly, he told this paper on Wednesday.In a memorandum to the SEC, five political parties, the CPI, CPM, Forward Bloc, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party had requested that either there should be reconsideration of the directive or the commission should ensure that it is not flouted by any party, including the BJD.The SEC had issued a directive on January 19 which said no political party can support candidates for the posts of sarpanch, panchayat samiti and ward members.Stating that the SEC should not intervene in such a matter, the five parties alleged that it infringed on their rights. The parties said that after the directive was issued, there were photographs in newspaper showing the Chief Minister, another minister and the Bhubaneswar MP with sarpanch and panchayat samiti candidates.They also alleged that posters of panchayat samiti member and sarpanch candidates with photographs of BJD leaders and symbol have also been found at many places of the State. The leaders of the five parties said the SEC should not remain a spectator when the directive is flouted by the Chief Minister, ministers, BJD MPs and MLAs all over the State.