There is a call for early assembly elections in many states including UP.

Read Bureau Prayagraj.

Dayashankar Tripathi

Elections in Uttar Pradesh and other states having assembly elections next year may be held before the scheduled time. Discussions regarding its possibilities have intensified in political and administrative circles. Sources say that in view of the increasing pressure on the government machinery due to the upcoming census and administrative preparations related to it, various options are being considered.

However, no official decision or announcement has been made in this regard yet. Apart from Uttar Pradesh, discussions are also going on at the administrative level in states like Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur regarding coordination between election programs and census related activities.

It is believed that if both the processes are conducted in the same time period, there may be additional pressure on officers and employees. Administrative officials say that a large number of government employees, from the District Magistrate level to the lower level, play an important role in both the election and census processes. During the census, the district administration has to mobilize resources and manpower on a large scale, while at the time of elections also the same machinery conducts the election process.

According to sources, for this reason administrative options are being considered in view of the possible conflict between the two programs. However, no formal comment has yet come from the Election Commission or the Home Ministry on this subject.

Discussions about early elections have also intensified the activities of political parties. While BJP is already seen active at the organizational level, opposition parties are also busy sharpening their strategies keeping in mind the possible election circumstances.

Political analysts believe that even though no official announcement has been made yet, all the parties seem to be alert in terms of pre-election preparations. According to sources, the Election Commission is currently studying the circumstances and administrative requirements of different states.