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Simultaneous polls will lead to cheating: CEC

August 06, 2003 19:20 IST

Chief Election Commissioner James Michael Lyngdoh on Wednesday dismissed Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani's idea on synchronisation of Lok Sabha and assembly polls.

"There are certain states that need special attention. In terms of electoral records it is very bad. Obviously, we cannot allow everybody to go to polls at the same time. It is not a good situation to have everybody going to polls at the same time.

"We won't be able to pay attention. They will cheat like hell and we won't know what to do with that," he said.

In any case, he asked, why should any state be oriented towards parliamentary elections? "There is nothing in democracy that says Parliament is more important than an assembly; they all have same weightage. Why should not Parliament be oriented towards assembly elections?

"That understanding of democracy any man in the world will be able to appreciate. You don't have to be a politician to understand it."

Asked whether the commission had rejected the proposal, he said, "There is no question of our not considering it. As a fact we have to do that.

"If they (the government) make constitutional changes, then we have to implement it. We are not interested in being a debating society."

Asked whether the commission was in a position to hold the general election along with the five assembly polls this yearend, he said, "There is nothing that is not possible. But it is a question whether it ought to be done.

"In any case, if you do that you will be depriving the present Lok Sabha members one year of their term. It can be advanced to February. You make constitutional changes. You can reposition everything. But this is bad. Well, somebody has to suffer."

Asked about the preparedness of the commission to hold a snap Lok Sabha election, Lyngdoh said, "We have got the electoral rolls ready. But they have to dissolve Parliament and we have got six months after that. It will not be snap for us."


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