Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar stated that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was "administratively" prepared to hold concurrent elections as part of the "one nation, one election system," but the legislatures would have the final say.
Lok Sabha and assembly elections, Kumar said, “There are undoubtedly many logistics involved, but the legislators will have to make this decision. The choice to hold the state assembly and parliamentary elections simultaneously is not within the purview of the ECI. We have told the government, though, that we can administer simultaneous elections.”
Kumar, who was in Pune for the launch of the national level special summary revision of electoral rolls, said, “Urban apathy in metros is a major concern and this needs to be addressed through public participation.”
The CEC stated that while on the one hand, efforts will be made to ensure an inclusive electoral roll, ongoing year-round efforts will be required by the election officials with input from the public to ensure that people participate in elections and exercise their right to vote. He said that to ensure an error-free electoral roll, all duplicate entries will be deleted after due checks and verification by the local authorities.
