Will move court if polls are delayed in 3 states: Cong

The Congress on Tuesday said it would move the Supreme Court if the Centre tried to postpone assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh and dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to dissolve the Lok Sabha early if he was so keen on holding simultaneous elections.

The Congress also dismissed the buzz about BJP's plans to explore the possibility of holding elections in 11 states along with Lok Sabha polls as a mere attempt to gain political mileage only to project that they cared for the country.

“Had they been honest in their efforts, they (Modi government) would have taken all parties into confidence to find a solution in the national interest. But they are merely indulging in politics,” AICC General Secretary Ashok Gehlot told reporters here.

The buzz about simultaneous elections gained traction after BJP president Amit Shah told the Law Commission that his party favoured the idea of 'one nation, one poll' and a section of the ruling party insisting that a dozen states can go to polls together without making any changes to the existing laws.

The Congress said it was confident of winning elections to the three states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and any attempt to delay the poll process would be challenged.

“If there is any attempt to postpone the election in these states, of course, we will go to the court,” Vivek Tankha, Chairman of the AICC Legal & Human Rights Cell, told reporters here.

Gehlot made it clear that simultaneous elections were not possible under the present laws and the Constitution would have to be amended to turn it into reality.

“There is only one way of holding simultaneous elections. The prime minister should do us a big favour and dissolve the Lok Sabha and hold polls along with the four state assembly elections. The Congress will welcome it. We are prepared,” he said.

Gehlot said it would be in the “best interest of the country to dissolve the Lok Sabha early, given the all-pervasive atmosphere of fear, intolerance and intimidation.”

“The Congress will not only welcome an early Lok Sabha election, we are all geared to fight the BJP and eliminate it,” he said.