After creating a nationwide buzz over the possibility of conducting simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and the state assembly across the country under one-nation-one-poll concept, the Narendra Modi government has finally pushed the proposal into cold storage, at least for now.
According to reports in various national media, Law Commission of India reportedly made it clear to the Centre that simultaneous elections will not be possible in 2024 as it is not feasible for the Election Commission to hold them.
Reports, however, said the Commission is working on a formula to synchronise all assembly polls by extending or reducing the tenure so that all state elections can be held along with the Lok Sabha polls from 2029 onwards.
The Law Commission's report on simultaneous elections is expected to be published before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Justice Rituraj Awasthi said the report would take some time as "there is still some work going on simultaneous elections".
The Commission further said holding simultaneous elections was not possible within the existing framework of the Constitution.
It also recommended amending relevant provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, so that all the by-elections falling in one calendar can be conducted together.
The development has come as a big relief to Bharat Rashtra Samithi led by Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who was apprehensive that the elections to the state assembly, scheduled in December, could be postponed to February or March.
KCR was of the view that the BRS would not have the advantage if there are simultaneous polls, as the Modi factor would play a bigger role in the elections and the local issues would be buried. The BRS plans to fight the elections in other states in the coming years would also be badly affected.
In fact, the proposal of simultaneous polls itself is aimed at neutralising the regional parties. So, the postponement of one-nation-one-poll plan would be a blessing in disguise for KCR, say analysts.
