Constitutional expert and former Lok Sabha secretary generalbelieves that all elections in the country - from Panchayat to Parliament - should be held at the same time. But, he emphasizes, it should be a gradual process where the country can first make an effort to hold simultaneous elections to state Assemblies and Lok Sabha and then switch over to hold all elections - local bodies, state Assemblies and Parliament - together. In conversation with TOI,expressed his personal views on electoral reforms and spoke about possibility of incremental changes.A. I would like to say that ultimately all elections from Panchayat to Parliament should be held at the same time. I am not talking about suddenly holding the election (for all the Panchayats, local urban civic bodies, state Assemblies and Lok Sabha) on one particular date but it (the process of moving on to this) should be gradual.A. It should begin with elections to all state Assemblies and Lok Sabha being held together and then it can be extended to local bodies and any self-governing institutions with there being only one election commission and not separate election commission for the Union and election commissions for states.Secondly, even for Lok Sabha and state Assemblies it should not be done suddenly for all of them. It should be gradual in the sense that in the coming parliamentary polls if the elections to state Assemblies are due within six months or so, they can be held along with the Lok Sabha election because there is already a provision that any time within six months if the elections are due, it can be held by election commission. Under the existing provisions, if elections (to state Assemblies) are due in six months that can even be held at the same time along with the Lok Sabha polls.A. If in some states the elections are due in one year time or so, and if it is your party government (same as that at the Centre), you can ask them (states) to recommend dissolution of Assemblies for holding elections earlier. If the state is being ruled by your party, it is possible that you can always convince your (party) members that the election along with the Lok Sabha can be beneficial.A. All I want to say that whatever I am suggesting, it does not require any amendment to the constitution. All that can be done under existing provisions. So, if the aim of holding election simultaneously is accepted then through a gradual process, I think within a period of 10 years, it should be possible to hold elections to all Assemblies and Lok Sabha simultaneously without changing the constitution or without any new law. That is my personal view.A. Then we can move to local bodies' elections and common electoral roll. After all, if all elections are held on the basis of adult franchise theneventually we should have only one electoral roll for all self-governing institutions in the country. Why should we undergo unnecessary expenditure and contradictions for having separate electoral rolls for self-governing institutions and for state Assemblies and Parliament. So, there should be only one electoral roll and then it is a matter of details where and how it should be prepared and all. It should be bottom up approach not the top down approach.A. Yes. There is a provision that the election commission can hold elections within six months if it is due in six months. So, all the states where elections are due in next six months or preceding six months, elections to all such states can be held together with the Lok Sabha polls.A. Yes yes. Incremental change is more acceptable in our country and it is easier.