India will be able to save 1.6 percent of its GDP, amounting to Rs 5 lakh crore, if Lok Sabha and state assembly elections are held simultaneously. This was stated by PP Chaudhary, chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, in Dehradun on Thursday.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday extended his support to the Centre’s "One Nation One Election" initiative, stating that the move would strengthen democracy and significantly reduce election-related expenditure.
He also pointed out that the country used to hold simultaneous polls between 1952 to 1967, but the practice was abandoned after “the Congress repeatedly toppled governments” and elections became isolated.
Ahead of the panel meeting, Chaudhary said that in today's meeting, former judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Hemant Gupta, along with Justice SN Jha, Dr BS Chauhan, and Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, will be there for the interaction.
During the meeting, he discussed at length the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill, which provides for holding simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
The resolution, moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister MB Rajesh on behalf of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, criticized the proposal submitted by the high-level panel headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
He described the entire proposal as ‘a move to satisfy the BJP’s ego and asserted that Indian democracy cannot be bent to suit the greed of one party’.
Chief Minister Vijayan said the Union Government has a hidden agenda behind its decision to implement 'one nation, one election' in the country.
"When they can not hold elections in three or four states simultaneously, how will they be able to hold 'one nation, one election'?” he questioned.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said, “It is not at all practical in this country. They want to divert attention from present issues."
