Opinion: Simultaneous Elections - Mother of all Democratic Reforms

One thing that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is dead against is the Chalta Hai attitude that has become the mainspring of Status-Quo-ist approach. This approach is age-old and omnipresent. Hardly surprising then that the idea of simultaneous elections has once again become a major point of debates and discussions.Understandably, there is quite a buzz about the Ramnath Kovind-led committee tasked with submitting its report on Simultaneous Elections. (Perhaps 'simultaneous elections' is a more appropriate way of describing the One Nation-One Election idea). As expected, most opposition parties are attributing motives and spreading canards. Yet they can't deny the very merit behind holding elections for Lok Sabha and state assemblies simultaneously.

Countries like Sweden, South Africa, Belgium, France and Italy, among others, are popular examples to illustrate the benefits of simultaneous elections to municipalities, state assemblies and parliament. This key democratic reform has enabled these countries to reduce their election spend considerably, consolidate the feeling of national identity and integrity, and above all, stabilise the state machinery and governance with minimal disruption of public life.

In India, we had already implemented simultaneous elections between 1952-1967, almost uninterrupted. This was discontinued after 1967 as the Fifth Lok Sabha Elections were held (in 1971) before schedule (1972). So, there is nothing unprecedented or impractical about this proposition.