simultaneous election advantages and disadvantages

About Simultaneous Elections :

Constitutional provisions related to simultaneous Elections

Article 83 stipulates that Lok Sabha shall have a normal term of 5 years from the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer.

Article 85 states that President of India has the power to dissolve the Lok Sabha on the advice of union cabinet.

Article 172 lays down the term for the Legislative Assemblies as five years.

Article 174 is states that Governor has the power to dissolve the state assembly on the advice of state cabinet.

• It means structuring the Indian election cycle in a manner that elections to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies are synchronised together under which voter's in particular constituency vote for both on same day.
• Simultaneous election idea was proposed by Election Commission in 1983.It was also referred by Law Commission and NITI Aayog.
• Simultaneous election does not mean that voting across the country for Lok Sabha and State Assemblies happen on a single day. It can be conducted in a phase-wise manner and voters in a particular constituency vote for both State Assembly and Lok Sabha the same day.

ADVANTAGES

Huge expenditures: 

By various stakeholders like political parties, individual candidates, etc. The urge to spend more (than the set limit) to win elections is blamed as one of the key drivers for corruption and black-money in the country.

Engagement of security forces: Deployment of security forces is normally throughout the elections and frequent elections takes away a portion of such armed police force which could otherwise be better deployed for other internal security purposes.

Policy paralysis: 

Frequent elections lead to imposition of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) over prolonged periods of time which often leads to policy paralysis and governance deficit in the form of suspended development programs, welfare schemes, capital projects etc.

Impact on social fabric: 

Frequent elections perpetuate caste, religion and communal issues across the country as elections are polarizing events which have accentuated casteism, communalism and corruption.

Impact on voter turnout:                  According to law commission report simultaneous polls will boost voter turnout.

DISADVANTAGES

Operational feasibility such as how to synchronize cycle for the first time, what will be the procedure incase ruling party loses majority before 5 years, feasibility for the Election Commission to conduct elections at such a massive scale etc.

Constitutional issues: Holding Simultaneous Election will require certain requirements such as Curtailment and extension of terms of the House of the People/ State Legislative Assemblies, Amendment to the relevant provisions of the Constitution, Amendment to the Representation of People Act, 1951, ratification by the States to these Constitutional amendments.

It can go against federalism as when an election in a state is postponed until the synchronized phase President's rule will have to be imposed in the interim period in that state.

National and state issues are different, and holding simultaneous elections may affect the judgment of voters and and he/she may vote for the same political party, which in most cases may be larger national parties.

Homogenization of the country, instead of bringing equity, sustaining plurality, and promoting local and regional leadership, as Simultaneous Election may promote national parties.

Conclusion:

Analysis of financial implications, effect of MCC and law commission's recommendations suggest that there is a feasibility to restore Simultaneous Election as it existed during the first two decades of India's independence. However, Simultaneous Election cannot be the panacea. The issues related to frequent elections can be addressed by, re-looking at the duration of restrictions under MCC, curbing poll expenditures by electoral funding reforms, bringing political parties under RTI, etc.