Five state elections in 2012 may be clubbed: CEC

The Election Commission (EC) today indicated that Assembly polls in five states due next year may be clubbed together. Elections in Uttarakhand, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Manipur are due in 2012. “When four to five states are due for elections, we do take a view on how to club them together,” Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi told reporters here.

He, however, declined to speculate on election dates. Quraishi was here with his team to hold discussions with political parties and poll officials. The team has already visited other poll-bound states and collected their feedback. “We will go back and do our home work before deciding on the dates.” The CEC said there are nine criteria that need to be taken into consideration before deciding poll dates. “We have to study the monsoon pattern, festivals, harvest season, school examinations, sowing season among other aspects.”