New Delhi: The Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) on Saturday threw its weight behind the concept of simultaneous elections, albeit posing an exception. The party, led by Nitish Kumar, has expressed its support for holding Lok Sabha and state assembly elections together while advocating for a separate timing for local body polls. This stance was articulated in a memorandum submitted to the high-level committee on 'one nation, one election', the panel headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind.
The panel was set up in September last year, the committee is mandated to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities, and panchayats keeping in view the existing constitutional framework.
JD(U)'s Stance On Simultaneous Elections
According to news agency PTI, in a memorandum submitted to the committee, JD(U) general secretary Sanjay Kumar Jha and parliamentary party leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh said the party is of the view that simultaneous elections are important to strengthen the architecture of good governance. They cited the reports of the law commission and parliamentary committees on simultaneous polls, the JD(U) said synchronised elections will reduce the financial burden associated with the frequent elections, as campaigning, logistics, and security measures would be consolidated, as per PTI's report.
Additionally, the JD(U) highlighted that synchronised elections could contribute to a more consistent With elected representatives enjoying longer terms uninterrupted by staggered elections, there would be greater stability in governance and policymaking. Moreover, the reduced time allocated to election campaigning would enable leaders to concentrate their efforts on addressing long-term issues and formulating comprehensive policies rather than being preoccupied with short-term electoral strategies, the Nitish Kumar-led party told the committee, the report stated.
Furthermore, the party also stated that holding all elections simultaneously could potentially lead to increased voter turnout.