<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday batted for holding simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies, saying it would result in huge saving to the public exchequer.</span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Mr. Rijiju listed out major impediments or imperatives, like amending the Constitution and bringing all political parties on board, before carrying out the gigantic exercise. He said, Department Related Parliament Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice had examined the issue of simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, in consultation with various stakeholders including the Election Commission. The Minister said, the Committee made certain recommendations in this regard.</span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">Mr. Rijiju said, the matter now stands referred to the Law Commission for further examination, so as to work out a practicable road map and framework for simultaneous elections. He said, simultaneous elections will also bring considerable savings to political parties and candidates in their election campaigns. The Minister added, asynchronous Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly elections result in prolonged enforcement of Model Code of Conduct, with its concomitant adverse impact on developmental and welfare programmes.</span></p>