Advani's proposal on choosing CAG, ECs gets DMK, CPI-M nod

Bharatiya Janjata Party veteran L K Advani's suggestion for a collegium to appoint Election Commissioners and Comptroller and Auditor General was on Tuesday backed by United Progressive Alliance ally Dravida Munetra Kazhagam and opposition Communist Party of India-Marxist.

DMK chief M Karunanidhi said the BJP leader's views could not be ignored and expressed the confidence that the Centre would accord due importance to it.

"I am also in agreement with the contents in the letter (of Advani). It cannot be ignored just because it is the opposition view," the DMK patriarch said writing in party mouthpiece 'Murasoli'.

Karunanidhi, whose DMK is a key constituent of UPA, said "Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the central government will accord importance to the opinion and consider those views."

CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechuri told reporters in Shimla that his party agreed with Advani that there should be a collegium for appointments of Election Commissioners and CAG on the pattern of chief vigilance commissioner.

It was the stated stand of CPI-M that such appointments should be made by a collegium consisting of representatives of the President, the Vice President, the prime minister and  the leader of the opposition, he added.

Advani had in a letter to the prime minister on Sunday voiced concern over the present system of appointment by the President on the advice of the prime minister. He had suggested that posts such as election commissioner and CAG be appointed by