New Delhi, Mar 9 (PTI) The Central plans to bring a bill in the budget session of Parliament to unify the three municipal corporations of Delhi, the State Election Commission said on Wednesday, while deferring the announcement of election schedule for the civic bodies.

The development drew a sharp reaction from AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who wondered if Prime Minister Narendra Modi would "not conduct elections in the country now".

Also Read | Enforcement Directorate Attaches Properties Worth Rs 268 Crore in Akshaya Gold Ponzi Scam Case.

In a statement, the SEC said, "The Commission has received a communication from Lt Governor conveying Government of India's intention to bring a legislation in the on-going session (of Parliament) for unification of the three municipal corporations.

"The Commission is examining the said communication and hence has decided to announce the election schedule later".

Also Read | COVID-19 in Maharashtra: State Notches Zero Coronavirus Deaths For Third Time in 7 Days.

It said that the election process normally takes about 30 days and that the SEC has sufficient time to conduct the poll well before the expiry of the term, clarifying that the Commission has neither deferred nor cancelled the elections.

The erstwhile MCD was trifurcated into three civic bodies by the Congress government in Delhi in 2012 despite opposition by the BJP.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)