Srinagar: Congress delegation urges EC to hold simultaneous polls

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 4 (ANI): Congress delegation comprising Mohi-Ud-Din and Ali Mohammad Sagar on Monday met the Election Commission of India (EC) in Srinagar, and urged the poll body to hold simultaneous polls.
Addressing the media here, Mohi-Ud-Din said: "Elections are necessary and they should happen within a time frame and should be held simultaneously."
"Congress has always favoured a democratic process. From 1996 to 2014, we have shown that when there is a democratically elected government, militancy is dealt with care. The government also deals well with anti-national elements. It was a myth that under Governor's rule, militancy in the state would come to an end. The graph is visible, which shows that during Governor's rule militancy spiked."
Echoing similar views, Congress leader Ali Mohammad Sagar added: “Kashmiris are being projected as terrorists, and the Governor has changed many rules arbitrarily, there is only one solution to this, which is the formation of a government in the state that will tackle these issues in the correct direction. Therefore, we have urged the EC to hold parliamentary election and assembly poll together."
In August last year, BJP chief Amit Shah had written to the Law Commission asking for simultaneous elections to be held in the country, citing examples of Indonesia, Sweden, South Africa, Belgium and Italy. 
Earlier this month, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora had said simultaneous elections are "desirable goals", but for that, the political system of the country will have to take steps to align the life of a state assembly with the life of Parliament.
"Till 1967, we had elections simultaneously. For various reasons, the cycle got disrupted in 1967. It's a very desirable goal, but for that, political systems of the country will have to take steps to align the life of a state assembly with the life of Parliament," Arora had said at an event in the national capital on February 8. (ANI)