Simultaneous polls could save Rs 7 lakh crore: Joint parliamentary panel chief

Gandhinagar: India can save Rs 7 lakh crore if Lok Sabha and state assembly polls are held simultaneously, and that money can be used for development purposes, P P Chaudhary, chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal, has claimed.

The JPC, which is examining the proposal for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, on Tuesday embarked on its three-day visit to Gujarat.

Chaudhary also directed the Gujarat chief secretary to submit a comprehensive report on the inputs of all the departments regarding the proposal.

On Tuesday, the panel held a meeting with bureaucrats, Chief Secretary M K Das, ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionaries, and secretaries of various departments in Gandhinagar's GIFT City.

After the meeting, JPC chairperson and BJP MP Chaudhary told reporters that the state government officials gave a detailed presentation, highlighting several critical issues that had not been considered earlier.

"We have instructed them to prepare a comprehensive report, which can subsequently be followed as a role model by other state governments across India so that they submit their reports in that format," he said.

The report should comprehensively assess the impact on industries, production losses, labour migration, employment, GST collections, the economy, tourism, and education, he said.

"A comprehensive report should be submitted by the chief secretary for further consideration and action. Today's discussions were extremely positive and constructive," Chaudhary said.

The 41-member parliamentary panel, headed by Chaudhary, is scrutinising two proposed legislations related to simultaneous elections -- the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill.

Chaudhary claimed that if simultaneous elections are held, the country will save Rs 7 lakh crore, increasing the GDP by 1.6 per cent.

"Economists also said that this could increase GDP by 1.6 per cent. If simultaneous elections are held, the country could save Rs 7 lakh crore. That money could be used for infrastructure, welfare of the poor, education, healthcare, and other public welfare works," he noted.

"Prime Minister Modi's vision is that election reforms should benefit the nation. He constituted a committee under the leadership of Ram Nath Kovind. In its report, this committee also recommended simultaneous elections," said Chaudhary.

The committee chairperson said that they were discussing how to maintain simultaneous elections.

Six former chief justices of India told the committee that there is no violation of any kind regarding the federal structure, basic structure, or fundamental rights, he stated.

"The committee submitted a comprehensive report of nearly 18,000 pages, which the government had accepted, including the recommendation to hold Lok Sabha and state assembly elections simultaneously," he said.

The report further suggests conducting panchayat and municipal elections within 100 days of these polls.

"This reform would minimise the cycle of continuous elections and allow governments to dedicate more time and resources to governance, development, poverty alleviation, education, healthcare, and overall national progress," Chaudhary said.

He said the committee is conducting detailed studies, and expressed confidence that both its members and Parliament would rise above party politics to work in the national interest.

Earlier, addressing reporters at the airport after the committee members arrived in Ahmedabad, Chaudhary said, "The concept of 'One Nation, One Election' is in the national interest. The Law Commission of India, headed by a sitting or retired Supreme Court judge, has also stated that simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies should be held."

Chaudhary said NITI Aayog had also advocated simultaneous polls in its papers, while a Parliamentary Standing Committee comprising members from different political parties had endorsed the proposal.

The panel has already visited Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Karnataka before arriving in Gujarat, he said.

"Our endeavour is to listen to everyone and take all viewpoints into account. When we submit our recommendations to Parliament, our primary objective will be to ensure that a broad consensus has emerged among all stakeholders," Chaudhary added.