JD(U) favours simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls

The ruling Janata Dal (United) in Bihar today said it favoured, "in principle", simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and state assemblies as this could lead to lower poll-related expenses.
The party, however, made it clear that it supported such an arrangement "for the entire country" and ruled out the possibility of preponing of Bihar assembly polls, scheduled for 2020, to 2019.
"Our party, in principle, supports holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls as it would lessen expenses involved in the electoral exercise. But such an arrangement must include all states", JD(U) national general secretary Ram Chandra Prasad Singh told reporters here.

"By simultaneous polls we do not mean assembly polls in Bihar should be held in 2019 alongside Lok Sabha elections. The Vidhan Sabha elections would take place in 2020 and we are making our preparations accordingly", Singh said.
Notably, JD(U) national president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had, a few months ago, spoken in favour of simultaneous polls for Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
His stance had triggered speculations that the JD(U) chief, who is running his government in coalition with the BJP, might be toying with the idea of holding state assembly polls earlier than scheduled.

Kumar had fought the 2015 assembly polls as part of the Grand Alliance comprising the RJD and the Congress. He walked out of the coalition last year and re-joined BJP-led NDA after the name of his then deputy Tejashwi Yadav, son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, cropped in a corruption case.

However, Singh - one of the most trusted aides of Kumar - dismissed such speculations and made it clear that the JD(U)'s efforts at sprucing up its organisational machinery in no way indicated an eagerness for early assembly polls.
Singh was speaking at a press conference held shortly after the party's state executive meeting held at the Chief Minister's official residence.
He spoke in presence of JD(U) state president Bashishth Narain Singh and other party leaders.