One nation, one election to save time and money: Election Commissioner Sushil Chadra
Parallel Voting: EC Sushil Chandra says Frequent polls derail administrative machinery
Simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and all state legislative assemblies will result in the prevention of wastage of human and financial resources, Election Commissioner Sushil Chadra said here on Saturday.
He drew attention to the fact that elections were held in this manner till the first 20 years of the country's independence and it is high time that the practice that was discontinued half a century ago is revived again.
Chandra said the idea has found favour with the Law Commission, which has submitted its report in 2018. Even Parliamentary Committee and the Election Commission has given a go-ahead, but it requires more debate among political parties and other stakeholders in the country.
Chandra addressed a gathering on 'One Nation One Election' at Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) on Saturday. His basic contention was that elections at regular intervals keep engaged the national election watchdog, paramilitary forces as well as administrative machinery of states and the centre.
"This year itself, the general elections for Lok Sabha were held. Now elections to two more state legislative assemblies – that of Maharashtra and Haryana will be held. Then there will be elections for Delhi and Jharkhand. Every time elections are held, a lot of expenditure is incurred, time and energy are consumed. Moreover, schools, colleges and other buildings are hired for conducting voting," he argued.
He also claimed that elections at regular intervals derail routine administration because of enforcement of Model Code of Conduct (MCC). Instead of routine administration coming to a grinding halt, the government will not face interruption and can carry out development work without obstacles.
He said that first four General Elections for Lok Sabha were also accompanied by-elections to the state legislative assemblies. However, after abrupt termination of certain state assemblies, the chain of simultaneous elections were discontinued.
He also suggested that instead of having state assembly elections in different months, there could be one month fixed for elections, during which all the elections will be held. To a question on the likelihood on e-voting, the commissioner said that they would first like to consolidate on EVM and VVPATS.