Tenure of vote

Tenure of vote

Election Commission has said that it will be logistically ready to hold simultaneous elections to state assemblies and Lok Sabha by September 2018, pending adequate delivery of poll related equipment such as EVMs and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines. The Modi government has been pushing for joint parliamentary and assembly polls ¬ prevalent in India till 1967 ¬ on the grounds that it will save time and money, and free political parties from the cycle of frequent elections that distract from governance. It's an idea worth debating.

By indicating logistical preparedness EC has of course put the ball squarely in the Centre's court, to facilitate the process through relevant cross-party consultations. But this is where it gets tricky. The Parliament's Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice submitting its report on simultaneous polls in December 2015 had recommended holding of elections in two phases whereby some assembly elections could be held during the mid-term of the Lok Sabha while the remaining could be held with the end of Parliament's term. Even by this formula several state governments would have to cut short their tenures to allow for joint polling.

Many state governments are likely to have reservations about shortening their tenures to synchronise poll schedules. And this would be true of even NDA governments. There are also unanswered questions about what would happen if a government ¬ either at the Centre or in states ¬ fell midway during its term. Adding to the hullaballoo, some quarters have demanded that even elections to Panchayati Raj institutions be held jointly with Lok Sabha and assembly polls, which would obviously multiply the logistical complexity many times.

In the end, the cost of the multiple structural changes required for holding simultaneous elections might exceed any savings of money and resources. Against this backdrop, it would be wise to pursue other measures to strengthen the electoral process and governance. A German-style provision mandating a confidence motion along with a no-confidence motion to replace a government could help avoid mid-term polls. Greater transparency in poll funding could boost democratic principles without impairing federal principles. As for EC, it has yet to deploy VVPATs on a state-wide basis but must extend them nationwide by the next Lok Sabha elections. For now it should focus on that vital and mammoth task.