The Controversy of Simultaneous Elections in India
India‘s government has approved a plan to hold simultaneous national and state elections, sparking fears among opposition parties that the move could undermine the country’s parliamentary democracy by centralizing power.
Last week, the federal cabinet endorsed a comprehensive report recommending synchronised polls to reduce costs and enhance governance efficiency.
Critics argue the proposal could shift India toward a presidential-style system, similar to the United States, concentrating executive power and diminishing the current parliamentary framework.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) support combining elections to cut expenses.
Estimates of holding state elections vary, with critics arguing that any savings from the proposal would only be a fraction of states’ budgeted expenditures.