The Election Commission of India is speeding up arrangements for the coming general election. It is giving all indications about announcing the schedule in first week of March. In all likelihood, the Lok Sabha elections will be held in 9 phases all over the country. Following this, the election code of conduct may come into force between March 4 and 8. This has put the respective political parties in top gear now.

As the day of schedule is round the corner, the Election Commission is busy debating and finalising all major decisions with regard to the conduct of elections. By the end of this month, all important changes in election procedure will have to be informed to the political parties.

The major challenge before the EC is the issue of respective governments at the Centre and in the States giving gifts and sops when the code is in force. The TDP government has given cheques to poor women members of self help groups and some of these cheques may be encashed when the code is in force. But technically speaking, the TDP government is not at fault as the cheques decision is taken prior to the announcement of code for the polls.