BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday said that holding simultaneous national and state elections "appears to be an undemocratic and unconstitutional" idea for a vast country like India as she declined to attend an all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.

She said that elections in any democracy can never be a problem "nor elections should be weighed from the point of view of expenditure and extravagance".

'One nation, one election' is not an issue before the country, she said. "Elections through ballot papers are actually the national issue and our party will continue its struggle for it."

The BSP president said it was a new drama of the BJP to divert attention from the concerns over "attempts to hijack" democracy through alleged irregularities in the working of electronic voting machine (EVMs).

"Even the idea of one nation, one election for the world's biggest democracy like India, prima facie, appears to be undemocratic and unconstitutional," she said in a party release issued here, asking the BJP to desist from works and mentality that harm constitution and democracy.

Mayawati said she would have attended the all-party meeting called by the prime minister if it was to address a "national concern" over EVMs. She described the idea of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls as a ploy to divert attention from issues like poverty.

Mayawati's comments come on the day an all-party meeting has been convened by Modi to discuss several issues, including the idea of "one nation, one election", the celebration of 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary this year and 75 years of Independence in 2022.

The BSP chief alleged that the people's faith in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) had dwindled to a "worrisome level". 
 
"The stubbornness of conducting elections through electronic voting machines instead of the ballot paper is the real threat to the democracy and Constitution of the country.

"The 'one nation, one election' is, in fact, an attempt to divert the attention from burning national issues such as poverty, inflation, unemployment and increase in violence, and is simply an illusion."

The "one nation, one election", a part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Lok Sabha election manifesto, has made the Opposition wary of the prospects.

In August last year, the Law Commission had recommended holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies to save public money.&nbsp;

In its draft recommendations, the commission had said simultaneous polls, with an exception of Jammu and Kashmir, would help the government of the day focus on "developmental activities rather than electioneering".

It, however, cautioned that holding simultaneous elections was not possible within the existing framework of the Constitution. 
 
After Modi addressed a NITI Aayog meeting last week, an official release said, "The Prime Minister called for widespread debate and consultations on simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas, keeping in view various aspects such as the resulting financial savings and consequent better utilisation of resources."

The Niti Aayog had last year suggested synchronised two-phase Lok Sabha and Assembly polls from 2024 to ensure minimum campaign-mode disruption to governance.&nbsp;

BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday said that holding simultaneous national and state elections "appears to be an undemocratic and unconstitutional" idea for a vast country like India as she declined to attend an all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.

BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday said that holding simultaneous national and state elections "appears to be an undemocratic and unconstitutional" idea for a vast country like India as she declined to attend an all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue. She said that elections in any democracy can never be a problem "nor elections should be weighed from the point of view of expenditure and extravagance". 'One nation, one election' is not an issue before the country, she said. "Elections through ballot papers are actually the national issue and our party will continue its struggle for it." The BSP president said it was a new drama of the BJP to divert attention from the concerns over "attempts to hijack" democracy through alleged irregularities in the working of electronic voting machine (EVMs). "Even the idea of one nation, one election for the world's biggest democracy like India, prima facie, appears to be undemocratic and unconstitutional," she said in a party release issued here, asking the BJP to desist from works and mentality that harm constitution and democracy. Mayawati said she would have attended the all-party meeting called by the prime minister if it was to address a "national concern" over EVMs. She described the idea of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls as a ploy to divert attention from issues like poverty. Mayawati's comments come on the day an all-party meeting has been convened by Modi to discuss several issues, including the idea of "one nation, one election", the celebration of 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary this year and 75 years of Independence in 2022. The BSP chief alleged that the people's faith in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) had dwindled to a "worrisome level". "The stubbornness of conducting elections through electronic voting machines instead of the ballot paper is the real threat to the democracy and Constitution of the country. "The 'one nation, one election' is, in fact, an attempt to divert the attention from burning national issues such as poverty, inflation, unemployment and increase in violence, and is simply an illusion." The "one nation, one election", a part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Lok Sabha election manifesto, has made the Opposition wary of the prospects. In August last year, the Law Commission had recommended holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies to save public money. In its draft recommendations, the commission had said simultaneous polls, with an exception of Jammu and Kashmir, would help the government of the day focus on "developmental activities rather than electioneering". It, however, cautioned that holding simultaneous elections was not possible within the existing framework of the Constitution. After Modi addressed a NITI Aayog meeting last week, an official release said, "The Prime Minister called for widespread debate and consultations on simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas, keeping in view various aspects such as the resulting financial savings and consequent better utilisation of resources." The Niti Aayog had last year suggested synchronised two-phase Lok Sabha and Assembly polls from 2024 to ensure minimum campaign-mode disruption to governance.

'Would've attended all-party meet if it was about EVMs,' says Mayawati

The world’s largest democratic election is already in the process. Around 900 million people are eligible to vote, 53 million for the first time. It is not only the 'largest democratic exercise' in history, but it is also among the world’s most expensive. The cost of ensuring democracy is increasing day by day. From 1951 to 2019 the expense per vote has increased many folds. One should not take it lightly while thinking about voting. &nbsp;

The irony of the matter lies in the fact that the Election Commission (EC) puts expenditure limit as only Rs. 50 lakh to 70 lakh per candidate to campaign for his/her election. The configuration of elections has changed post-independence. Now the mode of transport is no more the ‘Paidal Yatras’ but helicopters have taken over it. The mode of advertisements have also changed in this electronic age; now they have their own websites, blogs, Facebook pages and Twitter handle over the internet and a hefty sum is spent over them.&nbsp;

There’s no denying the fact that elections are an expensive affair in India. In 1952, Rs 10.45 crore was spent on conducting the first general election by the government. The expenditure was less than Rs 100 crore till the 8th general election in 1984-85.

The expenditure crossed Rs 500 crore for the first time during the 11th general election in 1996 and it crossed Rs 1000 crore during the 14th general election in 2004. In 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the cost to the exchequer was Rs 1114.4 crores. In 2014, Lok Sabha elections were most expensive entailing a cost of Rs 3870 crore to the national exchequer. &nbsp;

Regardless of the ubiquity of various offers and favours, a number of factors explain why campaigns are getting more expensive.&nbsp;

First, a slow and steady increase in the size of various constituencies may play a major role. By March 2019, the voter size in the country already swelled by a record-breaking number of 52.6 million. This increase is because of the post-Millennia’s — the ones born at the dawn of the 21st century. They have come of age at a crucial time and no political party can afford to ignore. Simply, increasing populations require candidates to spend more. &nbsp;

Secondly, in the new age of electronic media, there are changes in campaigning strategies. While radio and television have emerged as the preferred traditional media platform, all political parties have gone beyond it this year. A series of amusing videos, which entered into people's screens through WhatsApp and YouTube, which increase the cost of the campaigning. &nbsp;

Thirdly, and most importantly, a steady rise in the number of candidates and competition has sparked a race in campaign spending. &nbsp; 
 
How to reduce the cost of elections:

To reduce the overall cost of conducting the election, we should think about One Nation One Election. The basic idea behind this concept is to conduct a single election for the Lok Sabha, the State Legislatures and the local governments in place of series of elections done regularly over a period of time. This concept is increasingly growing popular within India as many eminent political leaders have put forth their views over its application within India, which includes Narendra Modi (Prime Minister of India), former President of India Pranab Mukherjee and also Ram Nath Kovind (President of India). 
 
In Indian democracy, the number of candidates has been increased, political competition has also increased and the cost of campaigning has also amplified. ‘One Nation One Election’ is a much-awaited policy, which after implementation shall completely change the electoral scenario in India. Hence for this general election, vote wisely to safeguard the democratic process in India.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(The article is co-authored by Meenakshi. She is currently pursuing a PhD&nbsp;in Political Science from Amity University)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
&nbsp;

The world’s largest democratic election is already in the process. Around 900 million people are eligible to vote, 53 million for the first time. It is not only the 'largest democratic exercise' in history, but it is also among the world’s most expensive.

The world’s largest democratic election is already in the process. Around 900 million people are eligible to vote, 53 million for the first time. It is not only the 'largest democratic exercise' in history, but it is also among the world’s most expensive. The cost of ensuring democracy is increasing day by day. From 1951 to 2019 the expense per vote has increased many folds. One should not take it lightly while thinking about voting.  The irony of the matter lies in the fact that the Election Commission (EC) puts expenditure limit as only Rs. 50 lakh to 70 lakh per candidate to campaign for his/her election. The configuration of elections has changed post-independence. Now the mode of transport is no more the ‘Paidal Yatras’ but helicopters have taken over it. The mode of advertisements have also changed in this electronic age; now they have their own websites, blogs, Facebook pages and Twitter handle over the internet and a hefty sum is spent over them. There’s no denying the fact that elections are an expensive affair in India. In 1952, Rs 10.45 crore was spent on conducting the first general election by the government. The expenditure was less than Rs 100 crore till the 8th general election in 1984-85. The expenditure crossed Rs 500 crore for the first time during the 11th general election in 1996 and it crossed Rs 1000 crore during the 14th general election in 2004. In 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the cost to the exchequer was Rs 1114.4 crores. In 2014, Lok Sabha elections were most expensive entailing a cost of Rs 3870 crore to the national exchequer. Regardless of the ubiquity of various offers and favours, a number of factors explain why campaigns are getting more expensive. First, a slow and steady increase in the size of various constituencies may play a major role. By March 2019, the voter size in the country already swelled by a record-breaking number of 52.6 million. This increase is because of the post-Millennia’s — the ones born at the dawn of the 21st century. They have come of age at a crucial time and no political party can afford to ignore. Simply, increasing populations require candidates to spend more. Secondly, in the new age of electronic media, there are changes in campaigning strategies. While radio and television have emerged as the preferred traditional media platform, all political parties have gone beyond it this year. A series of amusing videos, which entered into people's screens through WhatsApp and YouTube, which increase the cost of the campaigning. Thirdly, and most importantly, a steady rise in the number of candidates and competition has sparked a race in campaign spending. How to reduce the cost of elections: To reduce the overall cost of conducting the election, we should think about One Nation One Election. The basic idea behind this concept is to conduct a single election for the Lok Sabha, the State Legislatures and the local governments in place of series of elections done regularly over a period of time. This concept is increasingly growing popular within India as many eminent political leaders have put forth their views over its application within India, which includes Narendra Modi (Prime Minister of India), former President of India Pranab Mukherjee and also Ram Nath Kovind (President of India). In Indian democracy, the number of candidates has been increased, political competition has also increased and the cost of campaigning has also amplified. ‘One Nation One Election’ is a much-awaited policy, which after implementation shall completely change the electoral scenario in India. Hence for this general election, vote wisely to safeguard the democratic process in India. (The article is co-authored by Meenakshi. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Political Science from Amity University) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Lok Sabha polls 2019: 'One nation, one election' will help India reduce the poll expenses

Seeking to give shape to the government’s concept of ‘one nation, one election’, a law commission internal working paper has recommended holding of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls in two phases beginning 2019. The second phase of simultaneous polls can take place in 2024, the document states.

The document has proposed amending the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act to shorten or extend the terms of state legislative assemblies to effect the move. The amendments are in line with the ones recommended by a parliamentary panel and the Niti Aayog.

The working paper will be discussed by the ‘full commission’ on April 17. “It is a draft document and no final decision has been taken. If members suggest, changes could be made before a final report is submitted to the law ministry,” a top law panel functionary said here today.

The states which are recommended to be covered under phase I are where assembly polls are due in 2021. These include Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

States which will come under phase II are Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Delhi and Punjab. To hold elections in these states along with LS polls, the terms of the assemblies have to be extended.

Based on a suggestion made by the Election Commission, the working paper also says that a no-confidence motion against the government should be followed by a confidence motion. This would ensure that if the opposition does not have numbers to form an alternative government, the regime in office cannot be removed.

Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat had a word of caution on simultaneous polls when he recently said that the legal framework required for holding of the two elections together will take a “lot of time” to get ready.

“We cannot put the cart before the horse. Logistical issues are subservient to legal framework. Unless legal framework is in place, we don’t have to talk about anything else because legal framework will take a lot of time, making constitutional amendment to (changing) the law, all the process will take time,” he said.

He had said once the legal framework is ready, the EC will deliver. “… EC is a creation of the Constitution. We have to perform willy-nilly, deliver the election, whatever way prescribed in the law,” he had said.

A law commission internal working paper has recommended the holding of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls in two phases beginning 2019. The second phase of simultaneous polls, the paper says, can take place in 2024

Seeking to give shape to the government’s concept of ‘one nation, one election’, a law commission internal working paper has recommended holding of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls in two phases beginning 2019. The second phase of simultaneous polls can take place in 2024, the document states. The document has proposed amending the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act to shorten or extend the terms of state legislative assemblies to effect the move. The amendments are in line with the ones recommended by a parliamentary panel and the Niti Aayog. The working paper will be discussed by the ‘full commission’ on April 17. “It is a draft document and no final decision has been taken. If members suggest, changes could be made before a final report is submitted to the law ministry,” a top law panel functionary said here today. The states which are recommended to be covered under phase I are where assembly polls are due in 2021. These include Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. States which will come under phase II are Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Delhi and Punjab. To hold elections in these states along with LS polls, the terms of the assemblies have to be extended. Based on a suggestion made by the Election Commission, the working paper also says that a no-confidence motion against the government should be followed by a confidence motion. This would ensure that if the opposition does not have numbers to form an alternative government, the regime in office cannot be removed. Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat had a word of caution on simultaneous polls when he recently said that the legal framework required for holding of the two elections together will take a “lot of time” to get ready. “We cannot put the cart before the horse. Logistical issues are subservient to legal framework. Unless legal framework is in place, we don’t have to talk about anything else because legal framework will take a lot of time, making constitutional amendment to (changing) the law, all the process will take time,” he said. He had said once the legal framework is ready, the EC will deliver. “… EC is a creation of the Constitution. We have to perform willy-nilly, deliver the election, whatever way prescribed in the law,” he had said.

Simultaneous polls can be held beginning 2019: Law Commission draft paper

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