Shivraj Singh Chouhan sets up panel for simultaneous polls

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday set up a panel headed by a senior minister in his Cabinet to push forward Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s idea of holding simultaneous polls in the country.

Headed by state information and public relations minister Narottam Mishra, the committee would interact with elected representatives, intellectuals, and people in different walks of life on the issue and devise a mechanism based on inputs gathered from deliberations to hold all elections simultaneous once in five years in the country.

The panel also comprising another minister, retired bureaucrats, academicians and journalists was expected to submit its report within six months. The committee’s report would be submitted to the Centre as well as the election commission. “Prime Minister has floated the idea of holding simultaneous polls and the President of India talked about it. We need to have a serious thought about it,” Mr Chouhan said told reporters. The CM however ruled out possibility of postponing the assembly elections in the state, due in November this year, to hold it along with general elections, slated for May, 2019.

“Assembly elections in MP will be held in November”, he said.

Replying to a question, he said ruling BJP was upset over the loss of recently held by-elections in Mungaoli and Kolaras Assembly seats. He however drew consolation for drastically bringing down the victory margins of Congress in the by-polls in the two seats over the last elections by his party. The two assembly seats were won by Congress in 2013 elections.

“BJP is pained at the loss of the by-polls. But, we fought well in the by-elections.”, he said.

He exuded confidence that BJP would retain power in the upcoming assembly elections in MP.