Govt may call all-party meet on simultaneous polls

Press Trust of India  |  New Delhi 

Seeking to evolve a consensus on holding simultaneous election to and state assemblies, the government is mulling convening an all-party meeting on the issue after the recommends a legal framework on the matter.

Sources in the government said an all-party meeting could be convened in the coming days to widen the ambit of discussion among politicians on the issue of simultaneous polls.

But no final decision has been taken as yet on convening the meet.

The government, they said, is awaiting the report of the which would lay down the legal framework of holding the two elections together.

They said once the report is with the government, it will have broad talking points.

The law panel, which is examining the feasibility of holding simultaneous polls, had earlier sought the views of political parties before finalising its report. Both the BJP and the had stayed away from the consultation organised by the commission.

The had met the commission top brass recently where it had opposed the concept of simultaneous polls.

A paper by the had recently recommended holding the and assembly polls in two phases beginning 2019.

Political parties are divided on the issue. Besides NDA constituent Shiromani Akali Dal, the AIADMK, the and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti have supported it.

The Congress, Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, DMK, Telugu Desam Party, Left parties and the JD(S) have opposed the proposal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Mon, August 13 2018. 22:20 IST