Should India have simultaneous elections for Lok sabha and state assemlies

[Rajaraja Chola]

A huge constitutional debate and new law should be framed.
If any government loses power, lets say, for 3 years, then the term for next election should be for 3 years.
If a party rules for 4 years, then for 1 year we can have president's rule, with MLA's given power and an budget presented by Finance ministry.

However such changes, if started now, will take atleast 5 years to implement

 

[Soumitra]

Till now no body has said no but there are 4 cant says. I want to know what are the objections / concerns (if any) that you may have
@punit @Darmashkian @danish_vij @Aero

One common objection right now is what to do with mid term elections

Possible solutions
1 Hold limited elections at 2.5 years
2 Fixed legislature terms (if opposition brings no confidence motion then they have to prove majority
3 Suggestion by @Rajaraja Chola that in cas of mid tern election the tenure of new govt is limited to the time period of left of the old govt

Please feel free to give other suggestions

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

Till now no body has said no but there are 4 cant says. I want to know what are the objections / concerns (if any) that you may have
@punit @Darmashkian @danish_vij @Aero

One common objection right now is what to do with mid term elections

Possible solutions
1 Hold limited elections at 2.5 years
2 Fixed legislature terms (if opposition brings no confidence motion then they have to prove majority
3 Suggestion by @Rajaraja Chola that in cas of mid tern election the tenure of new govt is limited to the time period of left of the old govt

Please feel free to give other suggestions

For this, it will be very tough to convince political parties

 

[Sky lord]

For this, it will be very tough to convince political parties

It's a good idea. Maybe it will discourage political parties from toppling governments mid term.

 

[JanjaWeed]

Idea is good.. but implementation will be a nightmare. Not going to be possible by 2019. Maybe 2024 could be the time to do it. States which reaches term 3 + years could call for an early elections & states which are due for elections coupe years before 2024 could go into president's rule. That's the only way get around this complex electoral cycle! Should there be hung assembly with no party having enough support to form govt, call for re-election within six months! What do you guys reckon? @Soumitra @Star Wars @Rajaraja Chola @Sky lord @anant_s

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

It's a good idea. Maybe it will discourage political parties from toppling governments mid term.

Idea is good.. but implementation will be a nightmare. Not going to be possible by 2019. Maybe 2024 could be the time to do it. States which reaches term 3 + years could call for an early elections & states which are due for elections coupe years before 2024 could go into president's rule. That's the only way get around this complex electoral cycle! Should there be hung assembly with no party having enough support to form govt, call for re-election within six months! What do you guys reckon? @Soumitra @Star Wars @Rajaraja Chola @Sky lord @anant_s

The question is, what happens if Lok Sabha is dissolved mid term?

 

[JanjaWeed]

The question is, what happens if Lok Sabha is dissolved mid term?

Good question! Did think about it...made above suggestion assuming that successive central govt would last their full term. However we have had a history of mid-term elections! No possible solution can be found for the question you raised, unless we go for presidential form of democracy! Now.. that is a huge & separate debate altogether!

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

Good question! Did think about it...made above suggestion assuming that successive central govt would last their full term. However we have had a history of mid-term elections! No possible solution can be found for the question you raised, unless we go for presidential form of democracy! Now.. that is a huge & separate debate altogether!

I also made the suggestion with present NDA govt in mind. But we have forgotten this is the first single party majority victory in 3 decades. If central government collapses, like say after 4 years, we cannot have President rule for 1 year. India needs to be represented at international forum by democratic leaders. The president also cannot ask the incumbent PM to continue for 1 year as the country has lost confidence in him. And we cannot have 2 elections (1 Lok Sabha plus all states) within 1 year. We can, but if the intent is to reduce costs, it will be futile. And no national party will agree to an election for an term of 1 year.
So there is a check in that. This is a huge constitutional exercise.

@Nilgiri @illuminatidinesh ur thoughts

 

[T90TankGuy]

I doubt most political parties will support this as it will tend to favour the party in the center. Regional parties will definatly refuse this proposel , i know the aaidmk and the Tmc also the SP and Bsp are against this .
Sad wont mind this but Aap and Rjd ,Jdu will definatly object , i doubt there will be a concunsis on this issue . its up to the EC to take the initiative to propose this and work out the modalities.

 

[Soumitra]

Simultaneous state, Lok Sabha polls possible, says law panel chief
Pradeep Thakur| TNN | Updated: Jan 19, 2017, 09.05 AM IST

Representative Image.
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission and the Law Commission will start formal discussions on holding simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha in at least half the states soon, after the current round of elections in five states gets over in March.

Speaking to TOI, Law Commission chairman Justice BS Chauhan said simultaneous polls were possible and could be done along with the 2019 LS polls if a consensus was evolved with various stakeholders. "After the assembly polls are over, we will discuss with the EC various issues regarding holding of simultaneous polls to at least half the states along with the next parliamentary polls in 2019," Chauhan said, adding that it was possible and members of the law panel needed to discuss modalities with the EC.

The matter has already been discussed by the standing committee on law and justice which, in its report submitted to Parliament in December 2015, had made some suggestions on holding simultaneous polls, including conducting assembly elections in half the states in the first phase along with LS polls, and in the remaining states closer to the year in which they complete their five-year term.

The Centre is likely to make a formal reference to the law panel to initiate deliberations on simultaneous polls after the current round of Assembly polls are over. In the past, both the law panel and the EC had discussed the issue in depth. The latter had made a detailed submission before the standing committee on law and justice articulating various options.

Chauhan said simultaneous polls were the norm after Independence and for the first three general elections (1952, 1957, 1962), all assemblies went to polls with the LS. This cycle of simultaneous polls was disrupted in 1968 and, thereafter, when some Assemblies were dissolved before their term ended. The LS, too, has been dissolved several times, the first time in 1970.

A study by Niti Aayog found that elections were being conducted for two to five assemblies almost every six months. The flip side of regular polls is disruption in governance and development since the government is bound by the model code of conduct.

 

[Glorino]

Political reforms relating to elections is urgently required- simultaneous elections for State and Parliamentary seats is the need of the hour. A lot of time and energy is devoted to political state elections -waste of time and resources- time and energy should be better spend on the development of the economy....