NEW DELHI, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- India's chief election commissioner O P Rawat Thursday said that simultaneous elections would not be possible unless amendment in constitution was made.
"Simultaneous elections will be feasible only after the legal frame work, i.e., amendment to the constitution and amendment to Representation of Peoples Act are in place," Rawat told state-run broadcaster All India Radio said.
The ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) favors the idea that India's general elections and local elections in the states should be held simultaneously.
"Recently again it has come up that Lok Sabha elections (India's general elections) can be preponed to adjust with the polls going process of four states Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan Chhattisgarh and Mizoram, that is totally preposterous because when a House's term is not coming to an end or the House has not been dissolved, there is no question of elections to that House," Rawat said.
The idea of simultaneous polls was pitched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi two years ago as one nation one election. Despite the government's many attempts to bring consensus, political parties are divided on the issue.
Opposition parties Congress, Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, DMK, Telugu Desam Party, Left parties and the JD(S) have consistently opposed the proposal, questioning its feasibility and arguing that it would be against federal principles.
