If Sources to be believed, The Election Commission of India is likely to hold Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh with Lok Sabha elections due next year.
The terms of the four assemblies will end in May and June next year.
The sources familiar with the development also said there is a possibility of holding elections to the Jammu and Kashmir assembly along with Lok Sabha 2019.
Since the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has been dissolved, the EC is bound to hold fresh polls there within six months. The upper limit ends in May. We may hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir along with the Lok Sabha polls. But it can be held before that also. We’ll see in the coming days,” a functionary said.
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly’s six-year term was to end on March 16, 2021.
The other state assemblies-Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh- and the Lok Sabha have a five-year term.
Sources in the authorities pointed out that when security forces are deployed for the Lok Sabha polls in the state, it would be convenient for election authorities to hold the assembly polls on hand to hand.
While the term of the Sikkim Assembly ends on May 27, 2019, the terms of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Arunachal Pradesh assemblies end on June 18, June 11 and June 1 respectively.
“When arrangements are put up for the Lok Sabha polls and the terms of the assemblies are ending during the same period, it is but natural that all polls are held together,” the functionary familiar with the ongoing development said.
Another EC official said if Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections too are placed with polls in the four states and the Lok Sabha, then there would no other election in 2019. The Term of these two assemblies is supposed to end in November 2019.
A Functionary said ‘both the states have BJP’s Government, if the party takes a call to dissolve the assemblies prematurely then there is an option that elections of these states can also be clubbed with the upcoming Lok Sabha 2019’.