New Delhi: Thirty-two political parties expressed support for simultaneous polls, while fifteen expressed opposition to the proposal from the Ram Nath Kovind-led panel. Just two of the parties who supported simultaneous elections are national parties: the BJP and the National People's Party (NPP), led by Conrad Sangma which is a part of the BJP-led NDA.
Simultaneous polling was rejected by the four other parties designated as national by the Election Commission, including the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and CPI(M).
The panel had consulted with 62 political parties in all and had face-to-face meetings with eighteen of them.
The AIADMK, BJP allies All Jharkhand Students’ Union (AJSU), Apna Dal (Soneylal), Asom Gana Parishad, Lok Janshakti Party (R), National Democratic Progressive Party (of Nagaland), Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, Mizo National Front, and United People’s Party Liberal of Assam are among the parties that supported simultaneous elections in addition to the BJP and NPP. JD(U), which recently joined the NDA again, Biju Janata Dal, Shiv Sena (a faction of which is with the NDA), and Akali Dal are among the other parties that supported them, Indian Express reported.
In addition to the four national parties, the AIUDF, Trinamool Congress, AIMIM, CPI, DMK, Naga People's Front (NPF), and Samajwadi Party (SP) were among the parties who opposed simultaneous elections.
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi, IUML, J&K National Conference, JD(S), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Kerala Congress (M), NCP, RJD, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), TDP and RLD (both now BJP partners), and the YSRCP were among the well-known parties that chose not to reply to the panel.