Holding simultaneous elections not feasible: Navin Chawla
By IANSSunday, June 13, 2010
SHIMLA - The Election Commission (EC) has no jurisdiction over holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Navin Chawla said here Sunday.
“Only parliament is competent to make a law to provide for simultaneous polls but in my personal opinion it is not feasible under present circumstances,” Chawla told reporters after inaugurating a photo exhibition on the diamond jubilee of the EC.
“Many new dimensions have been added to democracy and as such I don’t think that it is possible to hold simultaneous elections,” he said.
On the misuse of electronic voting machines (EVMs), he said these were functioning normally and complaints made by some in this regard were found to be baseless.
“The process is irreversible… other countries have also followed India,” he added.
