The meeting of political parties convened by Chief Electoral Officer (Kerala) Rathan U. Kelkar here on Monday in connection with the April 9 Assembly polls saw party representatives crossing swords over government advertisements.

M.K. Rahman of the Congress pointed out that advertisements of both the Centre and the State governments were still visible in public spaces and on KSRTC buses and the All India Radio after the declaration of elections. He urged the Election Commission of India (EC) to ensure strict monitoring of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

A.A. Rahim, MP, of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] urged the Commission to be practical in handling the issue of advertisements. If ads placed by the State government’s Public Relations Department on KSRTC buses were to face action, it should also be applicable to Central government advertisements placed on trains running through the State, he said.

Mr. Kelkar said that the EC has issued clear guidelines pertaining to the MCC and these would be adhered to.

Political parties including the CPI(M) and the Communist Party of India [CPI] called for steps to prevent manipulation and irregulariries in the preparation of the supplementary voters’ list. Political parties urged the EC to simplify and make hassle-free the process of securing various campaign-related permissions. The CPI(M) suggested that home-voting facility should be extended to bedridden patients to guarantee their right to vote. Given the short period left for the election, political parties sought clarification on whether nomination papers would be accepted on holidays. Mr. Kelkar replied that he would seek legal advice on this matter. S. Suresh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded steps to ensure that election officials carry out their duties without political bias.