Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in poll-bound states of Goa, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh are gearing up for the possibility of assembly elections being advanced by at least a month.
The electoral exercise, scheduled for February next year, will coincide with the Census, causing logistical concerns, people aware of the matter said.
The main reason for considering bringing the elections forward is staffing, as enumerators and polling personnel are likely to be drawn from the same pool–mostly teachers and government employees– which will lead to manpower shortage.
The possibility of assembly polls being advanced has been discussed in all the states, with the BJP in power in all the states except Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
The party's big win in West Bengal, which is seen as a sign of the consolidation of the Hindu vote bank and the government's desire to move to a one-nation-one-election cycle eventually, are the other reasons being cited for supporting early elections.
In Uttarakhand, the BJP had suggested advancing the polls to December, later this year, to avoid burdening the employees who would be required to put in long hours for both the election as well as Census.
The AAP too has begun preparations for an early election, with leader Arvind Kejriwal announcing that elections could be held as early as November in Punjab.
