Chairperson of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on One Nation, One Election, P.P. Chaudhary, today stressed the need for holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, he said conducting elections together would strengthen governance, reduce disruptions caused by frequent polls and benefit the economy.

Mr Chaudhary said the concept of simultaneous elections is not new and has been recommended by the Election Commission, the Law Commission and other expert bodies over the years. He said elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies were held simultaneously during the initial decades after Independence, but the electoral cycle was disrupted following the premature dissolution of legislatures and the imposition of President’s Rule in several states.

Highlighting the benefits of One Nation, One Election, Mr Chaudhary said that it would reduce the repeated enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct.