Jaipur: Advocating electoral reforms,
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said all political
parties should consider simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha
polls to reduce expenses.
"All political parties should take up this move
jointly in public interest and only under extraordinary
situation or exception should there be separate polls for the
state assemblies," Gehlot told a select group of print media
reporters on the eve of completing one year in office here.
Recalling his meeting with the Chief Election
Commissioner Naveen Chawla recently in Delhi, Gehlot said he
had asked for serious reforms in election code of conduct so
that an elected government could perform and serve people
during election period.
In last one year, the state had to go through LS, RS
and assembly polls along with elections to civic bodies, he
said, adding it was impossible to carry forward the
developmental works initiated long back due to election code
of conduct.
"If CEC brings any reforms in election code of
conduct, the state election commission would also follow it
for the civic bodies and panchayat polls", Gehlot said.
On asked whether the Congress government would continue
its alliance with Independent MLAs` supporting it, Gehlot
said, "They have given us unconditional support as our
strength in the 200 member legislative assembly was just 96
after elections".
"Similarly, six MLAs who quit BSP and joined Congress
would always be respected because they offered us
`unconditional support`. This is known to every elected member
of the party", he said.
On asked whether there would be any change in the
state Congress as Union Minister for Rural Development and
Panchayati Raj C P Joshi was holding the post of PCC president
and has now become RCA president too, Gehlot said it was not
unusual as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was holding dual
posts as well.
With party`s government in power the burden of PCC
president is not too much, he added.
PTI
