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NITI Aayog for simultaneous polls from 2024: Beginning should be made now: No word on simultaneous poll for President and Vice President despite CEC assuring to look into the matter

NITI Aayog has recommended to ensure revival of pre-1967 era for simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and all state-assemblies beginning from the year 2024 with media-reports suggesting that West Bengal Chief Minister in protest-mood if polls to state-assembly are res-scheduled from the year 2021 to 2019 as a starter for the system. In fact, beginning should be made from immediate effect by announcing a road-map to club any forthcoming elections to state-assemblies together so that polls for most of the state-assemblies may be held simultaneously with Lok Sabha elections scheduled in 2019 with ultimate goal achieved by the year 2024. But study should also be made for mid-term polls needed in case of hung assemblies or early dissolution of some state-assembly. Otherwise whole exercise will vanish. There can be a permanent provision of auto-extension and auto-reduction of assembly-terms upto one year for clubbing elections. However period of auto-reduction may be extended to two years in cases Lok Sabha elections can be clubbed with elections to state-assemblies.

Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi in reply to a question at annual conference of Association for Democratic Reforms held at Chandigarh on 29.04.2017 assured to look into aspect of holding simultaneous elections for posts of President and Vice President to be held shortly in coming months, where present incumbents are to retire at an interval of just few days even less than a month. Election Commission of India and central government should take a quick decision in this regard.

MADHU AGRAWAL

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