Impossible to hold polls in one go: Ex-CEC

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 30

Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr SY Quraishi today said holding parliamentary, legislative and panchayat elections simultaneously was very desirable but legally and constitutionally almost impossible.

Quraishi was the keynote speaker at the roundtable discussion hosted by the Institute for Development and Communication (IDC), Sector 38, Chandigarh, to assess the implications of “Simultaneously holding the Parliamentary and Legislative elections.”

Dr Quraishi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently raised the issue of holding simultaneous elections to the Parliament, state Assemblies, panchayats and urban local bodies.

“But it was an old idea and only flagged by the Prime Minister recently, which received the attention of the country. Congress veteran Vasant Sathe was the first one who talked about simultaneous elections. Later, BJP leader LK Advani had written about it in his blog. Even in the 2014 Parliamentary elections, it was part of the BJP’s election manifesto. Therefore, it was an old idea, which was flagged by the PM,” he said.

In his address, Dr Quraishi stated that the benefits of holding elections simultaneously were manifold, such as substantial drop in expenditure incurred, time invested and reduction of inconvenience to ordinary citizens. To achieve this, he envisioned a substantial upheaval and modification of policy, logistical framework and financial resources.

For example, he stated that simultaneous elections would require making available to the Election Commission (EC) five times the Central armed police force currently provided. Instead of 700-800 companies, the EC would then need 3,500 companies. Raising a few battalions of various paramilitary forces would also give relief to the extremely stretched and stressed forces, provide employment and contribute towards better enforcement in troubled areas.

Dr Quraishi expressed that simultaneous elections were extremely desirably but legally, constitutionally difficult – nearly impossible. An ingenious legal safeguard and constitutional provision had to be ensured before such an attempt to coincide elections was made, he said.

Dr Harish Khare, Editor-in-Chief, The Tribune Group of Publications, said synchronisation of the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls was an idea, for which time had come. But the idea could not be sneaked in under the radar screen. It would have to be an open and a transparent solution, he added.

Dr Khare commented, “It is widely conceded that there are too many elections, too much fragmentation, too many political parties and consequently, too much distraction for those who want to deliver good governance,” and went on to add that “too many elections are a positive hindrance in pursuit of hard decisions and produce a deleterious dilution of a hard state.”

Dr Pramod Kumar, Chairperson, Punjab Governance Reforms Commission (PGRC), and Director, IDC, mentioned that there was a need to revisit holding of elections in terms of having clustered approach and bringing constitutional amendment that whenever Assembly or Parliament was dissolved, the new Assembly, Parliament should be elected for the remaining term. He cautioned that holding of elections simultaneously should uphold the basic principles of democracy – secularism, federalism and participation of people on the margins.

Gurbachan Jagat, former Governor of Manipur, said regional parties could not be ignored. He said, “Simultaneous elections are going to take us away from democracy. This topic needs serious debate.”

After the roundtable discussion, it was decided that an expert group be constituted by the IDC to work out the modalities of holding simultaneous elections.