Simultaneous Elections: What Stands In The Way? Modi Government Answers In Parliament

In a recent development, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government has reiterated its stance on pushing for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. The issue was addressed during a session in the Rajya Sabha, where Minister for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, responded to a question posed by BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena.

While the proposal has been advocated for its potential to result in significant savings for the public exchequer and political parties, the government also acknowledged the existence of several "impediments" in its implementation.

Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal highlighted one of the key arguments in favor of simultaneous elections: currently, asynchronous elections, including by-elections, lead to the prolonged enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, which can impact developmental and welfare programs. By having simultaneous elections, this issue could be effectively addressed.

The government drew attention to examples from other countries to support its case for simultaneous elections. One such example was that of South Africa, where elections to national and provincial legislatures are held concurrently every five years, followed by municipal elections two years later.

Similarly, Sweden conducts elections for its national legislature (Riksdag), provincial legislature/county council (landsting), and local bodies/municipal assemblies (Kommunfullmaktige) on a fixed date, the second Sunday in September, every four years.

Earlier in the Budget Session, the then Law Minister, Kiren Rijiju, had referred to a department-related report from the parliamentary standing committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law, and Justice, which had explored the issue of simultaneous elections in consultation with various stakeholders, including the Election Commission.

However, the Modi government acknowledges that holding simultaneous elections is not without challenges. Kiren Rijiju had also acknowledged the "impediments" or "imperatives" raised by Meghwal, specifically mentioning the need for amendments in "not less than" five Articles of the Constitution: 83, 85, 172, 174, and 356.

One of the significant challenges highlighted by both Rijiju and Meghwal is the procurement of additional electronic voting machines (EVMs) and paper trail machines. Such a requirement could entail substantial costs running into thousands of crores.

The concept of simultaneous elections has been previously endorsed by the Law Commission in its 2018 report, which supported the government's position. Nonetheless, the report had also cautioned that making simultaneous elections a reality would necessitate constitutional amendments, given the existing framework.

As the government continues to push for simultaneous elections, it is evident that several hurdles must be overcome before this idea can be implemented.

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