No chance at all: CEC on simultaneous LS, Assembly polls

Putting to rest all speculation, Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat on Thursday emphatically ruled out the possibility of holding simultaneous elections to state assemblies along with the Lok Sabha polls anytime soon.

Rawat also said a legal framework is needed to be in place for holding simultaneous polls.

There had been speculation in recent weeks that Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mizoram due this year-end may be deferred and held simultaneously along with the Lok Sabha elections, scheduled for April-May 2019.

While the term of the Mizoram Assembly ends on December 15, the terms of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan assemblies will end on January 5, January 7 and January 20, 2019, respectively.

“Koi chance nahi (no chance at all)”, Rawat told a select media meet in Aurangabad, when asked if it was feasible to hold simultaneous elections in the near future.

His comments come against the backdrop of BJP president Amit Shah’s recent call for a “healthy and open debate” among stakeholders for simultaneous elections.

“The lawmakers will take at least a year to frame a law that can be enforceable. This process takes time. As soon as the Bill to amend the Constitution is ready, we (the Election Commission) will know that things are now moving),” Rawat said.

The Election Commission commences preparations for the Lok Sabha elections 14 months before the scheduled timeframe of polling, Rawat said.