Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Wednesday said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is ready to act as per constitutional provisions and the Representative of the People (RP) Act in the context of ‘one nation, one election’, reports PTI.
Responding to a question in Bhopal on the concept of ‘one nation, one election, Kumar said that the poll commission is required to “deliver elections before the time” as per constitutional provisions and the RP Act.
This time, according to legal provisions, is five years from the date of the first sitting of Parliament after a new government is formed. The ECI can announce the general elections six months before the end of this time, Kumar said. The norms are similar for assembly elections.
The ECI is mandated and ready to deliver elections as per legal provisions, he said.
Kumar and other top ECI officials were on a visit to Bhopal to hold meetings with political parties and the administration and enforcement agencies over election preparedness in Madhya Pradesh, where elections are due in November-December.
The CEC also said that the final voters’ list will be published on October 5 for the state, which has nearly 5.5 crore voters.
Last week, the Centre formed an eight-member panel to be headed by ex-President Ram Nath Kovind to explore the feasibility of holding simultaneous elections in the nation, bringing the matter of ‘one nation, one election’ to the forefront.
Speaking about freebies, the CEC said that the apex poll body has made a detailed report in the regard but the issue of freebies in elections is sub-judice with the matter reaching the doors of the Supreme Court.