Pouring cold water on Telugu Desam Party's plan to reap a rich electoral harvest by calling early polls in Andhra Pradesh, sources in Election Commission on Saturday indicated that elections in the state may not take place before April.

Also see: Naidu favours polls before March

TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, soon after recommending dissolution of the legislative assembly on Friday, had told reporters he would favour elections in February. That now looks unlikely.

Officials at the Nirvachan Bhavan in New Delhi said draft electoral rolls for Andhra Pradesh will be published on November 27 and the final list will be out on January 20, 1994.

Depending on the number of objections, a summary revision may have to be undertaken, for which at least seven to ten days would be required.

Between announcement of the poll schedule and the actual notification at least three weeks' time is mandatory, officials said.

A minimum gap of 25 days is also mandatory between the poll notification and the polling date, this would spill into mid-March. And since that is examination time in the state and no school building will be available for use as polling booths, the election will have to be held in April.

Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh has already has gone on record saying Andhra Pradesh is not ready for elections in February. "Our objective is to have a proper election and not to have a quick and bad election," he had said.

Also see: AP not ready for polls in February: CEC