Chief Election Commissioner on holding simultaneous polls: No chance at all

One nation one poll: BJP chief Amit Shah had argued that one election would check expenditure and ensure that the nation is not in “election mode” throughout the year.

'No chance at all': Chief Election Commissioner on holding simultaneous polls

Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat’s clarification comes amid a growing debate on holding simultaneous polls,. (Express photo by Subham Dutta/File)

Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat on Thursday categorically ruled out any possibility of holding simultaneous elections for both the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies without a “legal framework” in place. “Koi chance nahi” (no chance at all), Rawat told reporters in Aurangabad when asked if it was still feasible to hold the parallel polls.

His clarification comes amid a growing debate on holding simultaneous polls, with BJP chief Amit Shah making a strong pitch for the idea. He argued that one election would check expenditure and ensure that the nation is not in “election mode” throughout the year.

In his eight-page letter to Law Commission chairman Justice B S Chouhan last week, Shah had said holding simultaneous polls is not only a concept but a principle that has been successfully tried in the past and can be implemented.

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In an interview to The Indian Express, Rawat had earlier stated that the Election Commission, if need be, is equipped to conduct polls simultaneously in eight states, at the most, along with the Lok Sabha elections next year. READ | At most, eight states can vote with Lok Sabha: Chief Election Commissioner amid Amit Shah push

Rawat had said in 2019 the poll watchdog will have just enough voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) units to hold elections in Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh (whose Assembly terms are already in sync with the Parliament) and another three states, at the most. Anything more than this will have to deal with logistical challenges.

“We need about 14 lakh (VVPAT) machines for Lok Sabha (elections) plus five states, whereas we have ordered 17.4 lakh (VVPAT) machines. There will be a cushion of 2.4 lakh units, which is enough to cover three large states. For instance, Madhya Pradesh needs 80,000 VVPATs. Any (three) other state(s) with such requirement can (also) be catered to (in 2019),” the CEC had told.

The Lok Sabha elections are due in April-May next year while Assembly polls to Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mizoram are scheduled to be held later this year.

With PTI inputs

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