Aparliamentary panel is now examining the possibility of holding the lok Sabha and Assembly elections together in order to cut down poll expenditure and bring some level of uniformity in elections. The practice, if implemented, would mean that there would be only one election every five years across the country to elect both the PM and the CM, except for Jammu & Kashmir, where the Assembly is for six years.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on law and Personnel — which is conducting a detailed examination on the Feasibility of Holding Simultaneous Elections to House of People (lok Sabha) and State legislative Assemblies — will shortly write to political parties to elicit their views on the matter. The panel — headed by Congress Rajya Sabha member EM Sudarshna Natchiappan — is also sending an Election commission report to the departments concerned.
Talking to The Pioneer, Natchiappan said that while reducing the poll expenditures for political parties is one aspect, once-a-year elections would also give time to the Centre to implement various welfare schemes. “The idea is to bring uniformity. We have started the process to find out if status quo should be maintained to let the present system continue where the lok Sabha and Assembly polls take place in majority States at different times or reforms are needed,” Natchiappan said.
According to a law Commission report the campaign expenditure by candidates is in the range of about 20-30 times the given limits which is increasing making contesting elections a very costly affair.
Simultaneous elections were conducted in the country in the years 1951-52, 1957, 1962 and 1967. However, due to dissolution of some Assemblies in 1968 and 1969 as well as premature dissolution of lok Sabha in 1970, the cycle was disrupted. However, during the General Elections of 2014, simultaneous elections for State Assembles of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim were held.
Political parties, however, have different opinions regarding the proposal. CPI leader D Raja said he does not see any possibility of such a thing happening because of the wide political spectrum in the country. “India has different political situation in States. One cannot impose uniformity on diversity, which even Constitution does not permit,” Raja said.
Meanwhile, BJP’s Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi felt the idea was good but the practical implementation of it needs to be seen. He did not agree with the fact that one political party that is the flavour of the season, can swing the mood in states too. “Elections in states and centre are held on different issues.
There have been several instances where one party that has gone on to make government in Centre has not done well in a particular State election,” Naqvi said. Naqvi felt that one election will help in drastically bringing down poll expenses and pushing forward development activities in States and plans that are announced by Centre.
JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, whose party is all set to face the poll test in Bihar this year, too hailed this concept. “This is a good concept but is very complicated. On one hand election all round the year leaves practically no time to make your political party grow and increase party workers, on teh other, there are problems of having elections at one go,” Yadav said.