No early assembly polls in Haryana: Khattar

Chandigarh, Jan 12 : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said there is no question of holding the next assembly elections in the state this year.

"These will be held in (October) 2019 as per the scheduled time," Khattar told media persons in Panchkula near here.

"However, on the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Haryana is fully ready if Vidhan Sabha elections are held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections next year," Khattar said.

Since October 26, 2014, Khattar has been heading the first Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) government in Haryana.

Assembly polls in the state are due in October 2019, around six months after the General (Lok Sabha) Elections.

There were reports that the BJP could go for early assembly polls, coinciding with the Lok Sabha elections, to cash in on the goodwill of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

Khattar said there was nothing significant (linked to early assembly polls in Haryana) in the visit of BJP's national President Amit Shah to Haryana from February 15.

"Amit Shah's upcoming visit has already been finalised during his visit to Rohtak last year. The youth of Haryana would organise rallies on motorcycles and make people aware about achievements of the government during his visit," Khattar said.

He said that the BJP was fully geared up for polls and had a strong base at the grass root level, with 30 lakh members and 30,000 active workers in Haryana.

"The party base will be further strengthened for ensuing Vidhan Sabha elections. The party will again come to power in 2019," he added.