According to reports from Business Standard, Joint Parliamentary Committee chairman PP Chaudhary claimed that if simultaneous elections are held, the country will save ₹7 trillion, increasing the GDP by 1.6 per cent. The JPC, which is examining the proposal for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, embarked on its three-day visit to Gujarat on Tuesday. Chaudhary stated that economists have confirmed this economic impact, and the saved funds could be utilized for infrastructure, welfare of the poor, education, healthcare, and other public welfare works.
As reported by Business Standard, the panel held a meeting with bureaucrats, Chief Secretary M K Das, ruling BJP functionaries, and secretaries of various departments in Gandhinagar's GIFT City. Chaudhary directed the Gujarat chief secretary to submit a comprehensive report on the inputs of all departments regarding the proposal. The report should comprehensively assess the impact on industries, production losses, labour migration, employment, GST collections, the economy, tourism, and education. Chaudhary noted that state government officials gave detailed presentations highlighting several critical issues that had not been considered earlier.
According to Business Standard, the 41-member parliamentary panel is scrutinising two proposed legislations related to simultaneous elections -- the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill. Chaudhary stated that six former chief justices of India told the committee there is no violation of any kind regarding the federal structure, basic structure, or fundamental rights. The committee submitted a comprehensive report of nearly 18,000 pages, which the government had accepted, including the recommendation to hold Lok Sabha and state assembly elections simultaneously. The report further suggests conducting panchayat and municipal elections within 100 days of these polls.
As reported by Business Standard, Chaudhary emphasized that Prime Minister Modi's vision is that election reforms should benefit the nation. He noted that the committee constituted under the leadership of Ram Nath Kovind also recommended simultaneous elections. The Law Commission of India, headed by a sitting or retired Supreme Court judge, has also stated that simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies should be held. NITI Aayog has also advocated simultaneous polls in its papers, while a Parliamentary Standing Committee comprising members from different political parties has endorsed the proposal.
According to Business Standard, the panel has already visited Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Karnataka before arriving in Gujarat. Chaudhary expressed confidence that both committee members and Parliament would rise above party politics to work in the national interest. He stated their endeavour is to listen to everyone and take all viewpoints into account, with their primary objective being to ensure that a broad consensus has emerged among all stakeholders when they submit recommendations to Parliament.
