Poll dates yet to be fixed, says EC

“There are wild suggestions in the (media) reports with reference to the dates, duration and phasing of elections in these States. As such, reports and references as mentioned above are completely baseless and misleading, the commission said in a statement.

Elections to legislative assemblies were due in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa in 2012. The term of the UP assembly gets over on May 20 and of Goa on June 14, 2012. The term of the assemblies of Uttarakhand, Punjab and Manipur expires in March next year.

The commission said that it is engaged in its usual preparatory activities for “quite some time” to conduct elections in these five states. “However, in view of the confusion created by (media) reports, the Commission needs to clarify that there has not been any consideration or ‘thinking’ as yet regarding timing of the polls in the concerned five states,” it said. The panel said it was currently engaged in monitoring of “summary revision” of electoral rolls in all the states and union territories, adding that a vigorous programme of training for election officials is on.