SP, TRS in favour of simultaneous elections, DMK opposes

Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) and K. Chandrashekar Rao's Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) have backed the Law Commission of India's proposal to hold simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections.

However, DMK working president MK Stalin has denied lending his support to the idea.
Kickstarted on Saturday, the Law Commission of India is holding a two-day meeting with leading political parties to discuss the prospects of holding simultaneous elections in the nation.

"Samajwadi Party is in favour of simultaneous elections, but they should begin from 2019. In case public representatives switch sides or indulge in horse trading, action should be taken against them by the L-G within a week," SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav said.
Chandrashekar Rao has also shown "strongly" support to the same.

In a letter to the Law Commission of India, Rao said: "TRS is strongly in favour of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies."
However, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam doesn't share similar sentiments.

The working President of the party in his letter to the commission said: "DMK are of the firm opinion that the proposed call for simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and State Legislatures goes against the basic tenets of our Constitution."

In April, the Law Commission had stated that simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies could be held in two phases from 2019, provided that at least two provisions of the Constitution are amended and ratified by a majority of the states.

National Democratic Alliance constituent Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) are also in favour simultaneous polls.

In-power Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also given strong support to the Law Commission of India over its proposed idea.

However, DMK is not the only party which has opposed the idea. Trinamool Congress, All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM), All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and Goa Forward Party have also reportedly opposed the proposal.

(ANI)