President Kovind's first Parliamentary address suggests early Lok Sabha polls

In his maiden Parliamentary address -- which also marked the beginning of the first phase of the budget session -- President Kovind talked about the possibility of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections this year.

In his address, President Kovind noted that holding frequent elections burden the economy as well as other resources. He called for a "sustained debate" on the matter participated by all political parties and entities so that a consensus can be achieved on the same.

Time and again, the Modi-government hinted at the possibility of going in for an early Lok Sabha elections.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Soon after the Economic Survey was tabled in the Parliament yesterday, PM Modi held a meeting with his leaders and touched upon the idea of debating the matter to create a 'positive atmosphere' for the proposal.

The PM also batted for simultaneous elections for the simple reason that holding frequent elections meddle with the development exercises and cause a huge financial burden on the economy.

In an interview with WION earlier this month, PMModi had noted that the assembly elections this year must happen along with the Lok Sabha elections. "If the elections happen together, then the country can save a lot," PM Modi noted. He also shared that he had already shared the idea with various policymakers.

Karnataka along with three northeast states of Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland are slated for assembly polls this year.

PM Modi's term will end in May 2019.