The federal NDP believe Prime Minister Stephen Harper might call a spring election and has told riding associations to be ready for a snap vote by April 1.

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair "wants everybody ready to go April 1, whether or not the actual nominations will be done. He wants all of the infrastructure in place," Deputy Leader David Christopherson told The Spectator at his Hamilton Centre acclamation Friday night.

"It just means if there is a snap (vote) that people have an idea of what they are going to be doing. That you have your five to seven days mapped out a head of time, no matter when they drop the writ. You can push a button and things start happening. You've got folks out lining up the office, getting material in place and you've got signs."

The election is set for Oct. 19 under a Conservative fixed-election-date law, but he notes the PM has ignored his own law before and called an early election.

Christopherson, 60, is running in his fifth federal election and is one of the longest serving MPs in Hamilton. He was elected in 2004, along with Niagara West-Glanbrook Tory MP Dean Allison.

This year marks Christopherson's 30th anniversary as an elected official. He was elected in 1985 as alderman for Ward 3 and later served as an MPP and cabinet minister in the Bob Rae government. He also ran for mayor in 2003.

He recently married his longtime partner Denise Doyle, but Christopherson said he didn't ever consider retiring.

"I still have a lot of fight in me," he said. "I am in excellent health. I feel more ready than I ever have for whatever kind of Parliament Canadians want to elect."

Christopherson won't spout the "rhetoric" to say the NDP will win and form a majority government. He laughs at the Liberals saying they will support the contentious anti-terrorism Bill C-51, but will fix it when elected, because there is no guarantee the Grits will form the next government.

"At the end of the day, we don't know who's going to form the government and right now any of the three, or combinations thereof, could still be the order of the day. Canadians haven't decided yet. Campaigns matter."

Mulcair was to attend Christopherson's nomination meeting, but it was postponed. He has not visited Hamilton since 2012 when Christopherson endorsed him in the leadership race.

Recently, Mulcair did not offer a public comment when Hamilton Mountain MP Chris Charlton stepped down. Christopherson dismissed a suggestion the NDP takes Hamilton for granted.

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He said there was "nothing nefarious" about Mulcair not remarking on Charlton's departure and noted that, "it's a big country and there are a lot of ridings."

"There's lots of love for the NDP in Hamilton and I fully expect you will be seeing lots of Tom as we get closer to the election."