AURANGABAD: Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat on Thursday categorically ruled out the possibility of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the country in 2019.

“Lawmakers will have to make a law to this effect. It will take at least a year to bring in such a law and then the question of the Election Commission’s preparedness will arise,” said Rawat, who was in Aurangabad to take stock of the district and divisional administration’s poll preparedness.

“We will come to know as soon as a bill to this effect is introduced in Parliament. But, at present, there is no such possibility. We are going ahead with our schedule for 2019 Lok Sabha elections. We have been preparing for the LS elections since February this year,” Rawat said.

Asked about the concerns over the alleged manipulation of electronic voting machines and the demand for a ballot system of polling, Rawat said they (concerns) were based on misunderstanding.

