United problems: Simultaneous or separate elections?

In a radio speech on Man Ki Baat on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi iterated his stand on conducting simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls. His insistence for holding joint elections comes from the rationale that separate elections for the Lok Sabha and for the state assemblies not only taxes the political parties twice but also acts as an impediment to development works of the central and state governments.

For instance, once the Election Commission announces the date of elections for the Lok Sabha, the central government can make no expenditure for any development work. It can spend only on day-to-day general works. This condition continues till the election process is over.

No doubt there is enough strength behind Modi’s arguments. Although the BJP and the Congress, two real all-India parties, can afford expenses for separate elections, it is also becoming a heavy burden for them. After all, one can’t fight elections at the national and state levels simultaneously by issuing coupons of INR 5 or 10.

But can what is true about national parties also be true for regional parties? Political parties are divided even on the issue though: while the BJP, and its allies Shiromoni Akali Dal, AIADMK, Telengana Rashtriya Samity, and the Samajbadi Party are on the same boat, the Congress, TMC, AAP, DMK, Telegu Desam party, JD(S) and the Left rather want separate elections.

The latter too have their reasons for opposing it: If after holding elections simultaneously at the centre and states, a state govt. or even a national government may be compelled to resign due to defections, say within a year or two of election, what will happen then? Will the state come under President’s Rule for the rest of the tenure, till the 5-year term is over, and the next joint poll is held? The constitution has provisions for President’s Rule for the states, but it has no such provision for the centre, if the incumbent national govt. fails to establish a majority in the house in case of a no-confidence motion.

What will happen then? In 1998, Atal Bihar Vajpayee’s coalition govt. failed to establish a majority in the house. He had to resign. But the president asked him to continue in power till the next general election was held. As a result, the Vajpayee govt. remained in power for about a year then until the Lok Sabha elections were held in October 1999 without the mandate of the Lok Sabha.

Modi is aware of all these things. Hence, in his Sunday Man Ki Baat speech he said that a dialogue among all parties on the issue had begun and it is good and healthy for a democracy. Let’s wait to see what comes out of the dialogues.