Frequent polls keep govt machinery occupied: Gujarat CM tells JPC

Gandhinagar, May 20 (IANS) Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday told the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal that frequent elections adversely affect governance by repeatedly engaging large sections of the state machinery in electoral work and disrupting economic activity in industrial states such as Gujarat.

Addressing the parliamentary panel during its consultation meeting at GIFT City in Gandhinagar, Patel said simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections would help improve administrative efficiency and strengthen public participation in the democratic process.

The Chief Minister said the repeated conduct of elections requires extensive deployment of logistics, infrastructure, and manpower, leaving a significant portion of the state machinery occupied with election-related duties for prolonged periods.

“In a developed and industrial state like Gujarat, lakhs of workers from other regions are employed here. Frequent elections compel many of them to return to their native places to cast their votes, which also affects production in the state,” Patel said while presenting Gujarat’s views before the committee.

The Chief Minister said the proposal aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” and described the reform as being in the national interest.

“India had previously conducted simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections for nearly 15 years after Independence, but the arrangement was later disrupted due to political instability and premature dissolution of legislatures,” he said.

Referring to broader governance reforms undertaken in recent years, the Chief Minister said the Union government under Prime Minister Modi had introduced several initiatives to create administrative uniformity across the country.

He cited reforms such as “One Nation, One Tax”, “One Nation, One Ration Card”, “One Nation, One Grid,”, and “One Nation, One Subscription”.

“In the development journey of any nation, good governance, policy clarity, and public participation are extremely important. ‘One Nation, One Election’ can become an important step in accelerating the country’s development,” Patel said.

He further stated that simultaneous elections would not only reduce administrative and financial burden but also increase voter enthusiasm and strengthen participation in India’s democratic system.

“The Joint Parliamentary Committee’s consultations with different political parties and stakeholders would help bring together diverse opinions on the proposal and provide direction for future reforms,” he noted.

The 39-member JPC, chaired by BJP MP P. P. Chaudhary, is currently on a three-day visit to Gujarat as part of nationwide consultations on the proposal for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.

On Tuesday, the committee held discussions with senior state government officials and reviewed a detailed presentation by the state administration.

Chaudhary had described Gujarat’s submission as a “model presentation” and indicated that similar formats could be suggested to other states.

The committee is examining constitutional, legal, and administrative aspects of simultaneous elections and is also reviewing proposals based on the report submitted by the high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind.

–IANS

mys/dan