By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 21 May: A delegation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Uttarakhand presented its views before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) here today on the issue of ‘One Nation, One Election’, terming it a historic step towards building a developed India. Extending its full support to the initiative, the party endorsed the report of the Kovind Committee as a true expression of the people’s will and a significant move in the national interest.
The BJP delegation, which met the JPC during its two-day visit to Dehradun, comprised Sahaspur MLA Sahdev Pundir, senior BJP leader and office-bearer Dr Devendra Bhasin, Ramesh Gariya, and BJP State General Secretary Aditya Chauhan. The members submitted both oral and written statements affirming that BJP Uttarakhand stands in full support of the concept and the ongoing process for its implementation.
The delegation stated that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is witnessing transformational growth. The PM is committed to the vision of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ and has reasserted the principle of ‘One Nation, One Election’ to provide stability and direction to the nation’s democratic process.
The party highlighted that India, being the world’s largest democracy, currently holds elections at different times for the Centre, states, and local bodies, resulting in political instability, development delays, and exorbitant election-related expenditure. It noted that the proposed system of holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and local bodies in a phased manner is vital for administrative efficiency, democratic strengthening, and optimal use of national resources.
It was also recalled during the meeting that simultaneous elections were conducted in 1952, 1957, 1962, and 1967, but the trend was disrupted after 1968–69 due to premature dissolution of several state governments. Since then, India has been in a near-constant election mode, putting immense strain on the Election Commission, administrative machinery, and security forces. The party asserted that such a state of affairs is not in public interest and called for a return to synchronised elections.
The BJP cited the high cost of elections, noting that the 2024 Lok Sabha polls alone incurred an expenditure of Rs 1 lakh crore.
The BJP delegation asserted that simultaneous elections could save Rs 12,000 crores and boost the GDP by 1.5 per cent. The delegation also reminded that frequent enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct hampered development activities, which could be streamlined through a unified election cycle.
The party stressed that this reform would reduce election fatigue, promote better voter turnout, limit misuse of money power, and offer more stable governance. Supporting evidence was cited from recommendations of the Law Commission (2018), NITI Aayog (2017), and other expert bodies including the Lal Krishna Advani Committee. International parallels were drawn from countries like Sweden, South Africa, and Indonesia that conduct simultaneous elections successfully.
The Kovind Committee, constituted under the Prime Minister’s leadership, has undertaken comprehensive consultations with legal experts, public representatives, and civil society and recommended a two-phase implementation, first combining Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, followed by inclusion of local body polls.
