The government is exploring at least two workarounds to avoid amending the Constitution that would otherwise be required to fulfil its ambition of holding simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.One of the proposals is imposing President’s rule in states where assembly polls are due just ahead of the general elections so as to hold the voting for both together.The states where elections are due within a few months of the Lok Sabha polls could also be persuaded to dissolve their assemblies so as to join the process. The second option is that if the general elections are advanced to November-December this year, those can he held along with the assembly polls in four states.Both ideas, said sources aware of the discussions, wouldn’t need any amendment to the Constitution, which would take a lot of time and energy. The proposals may still not immediately help holding parliamentary and assembly elections simultaneously across the country, but set the direction towards that, they said.The sources told ET that an elaborate exercise was carried out by various quarters of the government, involving the NITI Aayog, law ministry and others, to explore all possible options to move towards simultaneous elections, which the government believes would help reduce the cost and work required in the process to elect the governments.ET has exclusively accessed notes containing internal discussions on the issue. President’s rule can be imposed “in larger national interest of one nation one election”, a section of the government believes.Those who support the idea say President’s rule could be imposed in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan after the current terms of their assemblies end in December, till April-May when the Lok Sabha polls are due. There is a view that Mizoram could be persuaded to come on board with a similar arrangement.The governments of Maharashtra and Haryana, where elections are due later next year, could also be convinced to dissolve their assemblies six months prior to their tenure.This would help increase the tally of the states having simultaneous elections with the Lok Sabha to 11 — Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha are the other states, where assembly elections are due along with those to the Lok Sabha.If the general elections are advanced, then Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Haryana and Maharashtra will have to be persuaded to dissolve their assemblies by six to 11 months so as to participate in the larger election process.Top ministers of the Union government will and take a final call on these alternatives, sources said. According to a Parliamentary Standing Committee that looked into the issue, it would be difficult to hold simultaneous elections in every five years in the near future, but that could be achieved in stages. For that, the “tenure of some of the state legislative assemblies needs to be curtailed or extended”, it had suggested.The committee also observed that elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies could only be held prior to expiration of their tenure, where either of the two conditions are met: Firstly, if a motion for an early general election is agreed by at least two-thirds of the whole house (including vacant seats). Secondly, if a motion of “no-confidence” is passed and no alternative government is confirmed by the Lok Sabha or assemblies within 14 days by means of a confidence motion.