Elections are like a festival in India. In fact, the Election Commission (EC) has called the upcoming general polls Desh ka maha tyohaar. The most vital characteristic of a functioning democracy is to have free and fair elections. But is democracy only about elections and electioneering?
India has 29 states and two Union Territories that have a legislature. In the 2014 election, the Lok Sabha was elected with an absolute majority for one partythe BJPafter 30 years. But this isnt the case with the state assemblies. On average, India sees at least five elections each year, including state assemblies, byelections and municipal bodies. With a fractured mandate, the possibility of frequent elections increases substantially.
As soon as elections are announced, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) goes into action. The MCC brings the country (during general elections) and the state (during assembly elections) to an administrative halt. The government is clipped off its power to implement developmental programs and welfare policies, and the administration conducts routine tasks.
The EC incurs a huge financial cost to conduct these elections. A reported Rs 3426 crore was spent on the 2014 Lok Sabha poll alone. Candidates must also spend a large amount of money when contesting an election. In fact, in a bid to win, candidates often flout the prescribed maximum spending limit. According to a study by the Association for Democratic Reforms, the total expenditure by political parties and candidates during the 2014 poll was about Rs 30,000 Crores. Besides, the EC has also said that the flow of black money increases eight- to ten-fold during general elections. When obscene amounts of money are to be spent, this must be collected from somewhere. Could frequent elections be blamed for widespread corruption?
Security forces and other manpower are also required during election season. Manpower drawn from government schools, colleges, banks and other departments hamper the functioning of these institutions.
Simultaneous polls the answer?
Simultaneous elections are a method of electioneering in which voters cast their votes to elect members for all tiers of government on a single day. India had simultaneous elections till 1967 (by chance, not by design). This synchronisation got disrupted during the 4th Lok Sabha.
The idea of simultaneous elections may look appealing, but the idea comes with several conundrums for a complex plural democracy like India. The common argument is that it will cut down on black moneygiven that it has been proven that the creation of black money is directly proportionate to the frequency of electionsand that it will reduce election expenditure drastically, bringing a windfall gain to the exchequer.
When the country is in consistent election mode, elected officials get little time to act as office-bearers. Instead, they act like politicians seeking the favour of voters, and often resort to corruption, communalism and polarisation for quick electoral gain.
Another reason to bat for simultaneous polls is the matter of complimentary giftsfree cycles, free mobiles, free laptops, free TVs. These freebies disturb the balance sheet of every political party but they are forced to do it to compete and secure votes. All of this turns elections into a playing field of the rich and the criminal.
But can it really help?
Simultaneous polls may be a desirable solution to the many problems that plague Indian democracy, but are they feasible?
There are several constitutional and legislative hurdles to conducting simultaneous polls. To synchronise elections, the tenures of several state assemblies will have to be curtailed or extended. Since the constitution does not guarantee a minimum tenure to a ruling dispensation, the central or a state government can fall much earlier than its proscribed maximum term of five years, with the loss of majority.
There are also a crucial operational challenge. The EC draws its manpower from several government departments as it does not have its permanent workforce. The general election is held in many phases over a multiple-week period. Will the EC be able to hold simultaneous polls for Lok Sabha and state assemblies with such manpower limitations?
Holding simultaneous elections would also lead to the overshadowing of the state, which would be tantamount to a weak federal polity. Repeated elections keep legislators on their toes, and increases accountability.
Crucially, conducting simultaneous polls increases the possibility of influencing voter behaviour. A voter voting on national issues in a state elections or on state issues in a national election is undesirable and unhealthy for a federal setup. Simultaneous voting could bring about voter bias, with a single party standing to gain. As a result, it is highly possible that a larger national party wins both the state and the Lok Sabha elections, marginalising regional parties in the process. Independents and new political parties will be left out, undermining the depth and breadth of Indian democracy.
While the idea of simultaneous election has several merits, it looks impractical to implement those in a federal polity like India. The shortfalls of electioneering in India can be plugged by amending the Representation of Peoples Act sufficiently and by capping candidates’ and political parties’ expenditure. And many of shortcomings plaguing the EC at present can be addressed by giving it more teeth.
Democracy is an expensive affair, and no matter what cost the nation bears to conduct free and fair elections, India continue with it.
Shariq Us Sabah is a writer and economist.