Photo: MintNew Delhi: The Niti Aayog has favoured conducting synchronised two-phase Lok Sabha and assembly elections from 2024 in “national interest”. “We may begin work towards switching to a synchronised two-phase election from the 2024 election to the Lok Sabha. The recommendation of the Aayog assumes significance as former president Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have pitched for simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls. Mukherjee in his speech on the eve of this year’s Republic Day had favoured holding Lok Sabha and assembly elections together. Modi had said that more than Rs1,100 crore was spent on the 2009 Lok Sabha polls and the expenditure had shot up to Rs4,000 crore in 2014.

Source: Mint August 27, 2017 06:33 UTC