Law panel backs simultaneous polls but 'several points need to be debated'

The Law Commission on Thursday suggested three options to hold simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls but said several points still remain to be addressed.

In a public appeal issued along with its draft report on holding the mammoth exercise, it said though many of the impediments in achieving synchronisation of LS and assembly elections have been addressed, some of the points would "still remain to be pondered upon."

It asked all stakeholders to suggest whether holding simultaneous elections, by any means, tinker with the democracy, basic structure of the Constitution or the federal polity of the country?

It said various committees and commissions have made suggestions to deal with the situation of hung Parliament or Assembly, where no political party has majority to form a government.

Need legal framework to conduct simultaneous polls, says CEC Rawat

Simultaneous elections are not possible without a legal framework as any extension or curtailment of the term of assemblies will require a constitutional amendment, Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat said on Tuesday, a day after the BJP made a fresh push to hold Lok Sabha and assembly polls together.

Pointing at the need for a legal framework, he virtually ruled out holding simultaneous polls any time soon.

"If the term of some state assemblies needs to be curtailed or extended, then a constitutional amendment will be required... Logistics arrangements with regard to 100 per cent availability of VVPATs (paper trail machines) will be a constraint," he told reporters to a question on whether simultaneous elections can be held anytime soon.

"On the issue of 'one nation one poll', the Election Commission had given inputs and suggestions in 2015 itself... Other requirements of additional police force, polling personnel would also be needed," he said.

The CEC said the poll panel would continue to deliver its responsibility of conducting elections whenever term of the state assemblies come to an end.