New Delhi: PM
Narendra Modi on Thursday brought up the issue of simultaneous elections, an idea he has often backed, at the allparty meeting a day before the winter session begins.
While addressing the meeting, Modi said members should discuss in the House how assembly and parliamentary elections could be held together, since holding the exercise once in five years would boost development.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, parliamentary affairs minister
Ananth Kumar said the PM appealed to leaders of all political parties to help build consensus on the matter. An opposition member present at the meeting said, "He (PM) was trying to deflect from the real issues that need to be discussed in the House."
The opposition is expected to express its dissatisfaction that the
Election Commission did not haul the PM for his "violation" of the model code of conduct.
CPI's D Raja said, "At the opposition meeting, as well as the all-party meeting convened by the government, the PM's comments on the former PM were discussed and it was unanimously decided that the PM should explain his statement in Parliament."
Congress'
Anand Sharma said, "Either the government should prove the claim or the PM apologises. Nothing short of an apology will satisfy us."
