Arguments against simultaneous elections

♤ In 1999, the Law Commission recommended that the cycle of elections every year should be put an end to.

♤ Synchronized election means fixed tenure of various legislative bodies and fixed election dates has its own practical fallouts.

♤ As the Constitution provides for various instruments like No Confidence Motion, defeat of an elected government at the Centre and the States on budget proposals, President’s Rule etc., a fixed election date would mean a totally undemocratic situation. The concerned State will have to wait for the next election date and submit to Central rule in the interval, which is against the spirit of democracy and the representative system.

♤ Fixed tenure model can work more in party-less democracies where candidates are elected for their individual worth and not for their assets to win elections.

♤ Moreover, in a vibrant democracy, governments cannot be bound to fixed tenure regardless of political sentiment. Because if the party does not deliver on its promises and no other party is judged as promising, the people should have every right to return to a coalition era.

Therefore, the proposal of conducting simultaneous elections should be implemented only after taking into considerations all the aspect and practicalities and the decision should be such as to strengthen our democracy and not serve any political interest.