With both the President Kovind and Prime Minister Modi repeating the desire to hold simultaneous polls, it is clear that this is what the government really wants.
The BJP wants, elections in 11 of the biggest 17 states without resorting to any constitutional amendment. All the BJP needs to do is to call for a December 2018 general election, when three big states Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have polls, get a few other BJP states also to ask for early polls.
The Election Commission will probably use its prerogative to call assembly elections in the three states Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana that voted for their governments along with the 2014 general election.Both the CMs of AP and TS are gearing up for the December elections.
Amit Shah, the BJP President, was reportedly planning for a simultaneous election campaign as early as August last year before the tense situation in Gujarat forced him to focus on his home state.
But to get to 360+, the BJP needs everything going for it, especially protecting the majorities in every state that it holds.
And that’s where going for an early general election and as many assemblies as possible makes sense.
Its advantage BJP,TDP and TRS.
U.Srinivas
Editor
