Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi has stressed the need to stop transfer of state officials 6 months before and after any state assembly elections. Addressing a regional conference on electoral reforms at Lucknow, he called for an immediate poll reforms in the country. He said, in most of the states, the ruling party tries to appoint their near and dear ones on plump posts before the elections and after a new government comes, the old officials are shunted out. These should be prevented for a healthy democracy. Dr. Quraishi said he is in favour of debarring candidates from contesting polls against whom charges have been framed and filed in the court. He said it is unfortunate that criminals are the most liked candidates in any elections by the political parties. The CEC said the policy through which the political parties receive funds should be more transparent.