SHILLONG, OCT 5: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today said the merits and demerits of holding simultaneous polls for Lok Sabha and state assemblies have to be analyzed from the practicability aspect of it.
“The practical application of this whole concept of this thinking process on how practically it can be implemented in the given context of the whole constitutional mandate or provision has to be looked at,” Sangma told reporters on Thursday.
The Election Commission of India had stated that it would be “logistically equipped” by September 2018 to hold simultaneous polls for Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
The poll body had also told the government that funds would be needed for requisite number of EVMs and VVPATs and had got Rs 3,400 crore and Rs 12,000 crore respectively.
Asked, Sangma said that in a democracy you cannot rule out advancing of election in any of the states you cannot also rule out advancing election in the parliament.
“There can be a situation prospectively am talking about we have to anticipate will it be possible to rule out that in the years to come in the decades to come,” he said.
Responding to another query, the CM said, “There is a situation which calls for a mid-term poll in as far as parliament is concerned then should we all go for mid-term poll all the states because the mandate is for five years.”
He said that such move (to hold simultaneous elections) requires a lot of long drawn engagement with all the concerned political parties across the nation.
“If it is contemplated, it has to be collectively contemplated and collective endeavour has to be there. We have to look at the merits and demerits and also look at the realistic aspect of it,” Sangma added.
The chief minister further added, “Supposed when you have elections held simultaneously for the state legislatures, for the parliament then a kind of situation where elections have to be advanced in any of the states, the constitutional provision will requires that because there cannot be a vacuum unless you landed extending into six years instead of five years in an event when election has to be advanced because of any kind of situation, because of constitutional requirement.”
By Our Reporter
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