New Delhi, Aug 05: Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh today virtually rejected Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani's proposal for synchronisation of Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the country saying it was not in line with the Constitution. "It is not strictly according to constitution. Saving expenses is important but it is the democratic aspect which is more important,” he told a private TV channel.

"It is important for the government to take important decisions it wanted to and in fact it has not hindered anybody in all these decades and so what is new about it. I don't know,” he said, reacting to Advani's view that Lok Sabha and the various elections being held in different times put the country in election mode all the time rendering decision making process for the government difficult.
Asked whether the assembly polls to five states --Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Mizoram and Chhatisgarh --would be held as scheduled, the CEC said that "one of the assemblies has to meet in early December. So obviously it would be due then".

Bureau Report