EC silent on dates for UP assembly polls

The Election Commission will soon decide on the schedule for by-elections to seven Lok Sabha seats rendered vacant by the expulsion of parliamentarians in the cash-for-query scam but maintained suspense over the dates for the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.

"With respect to three Lok Sabha vacancies in Uttar Pradesh, they will be held along with the assembly polls. On the rest of them, we will take a decision soon," Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy told media persons on Tuesday.

He, however, said that the Commission had got six months time from the date of the apex court's verdict to conduct elections in the 10

Lok Sabha seats. The apex court had on January 10 upheld Parliament's right to expel members for misconduct in the context of the cash-for-query scam of 2005.

On the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, he said that a new assembly had to be constituted by May 14.

"You can do your calculations," the CEC said when asked whether the poll schedule for UP will be announced before the completion of assembly poll process in Manipur, Punjab and Uttaranchal.