One Nation, One Election: Voters smart enough to distinguish issues of state, national interest, says JPC chief

Gandhinagar: The chairman of the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) on ‘One Nation, One Election’, P P Chaudhary, said in Gandhinagar on Thursday that voters were intelligent enough to distinguish between issues concerning assembly and Lok Sabha elections and knew whom to vote for if elections were held simultaneously.

Replying to a question on apprehensions that simultaneous elections could overshadow state-specific and local governance issues with national narratives, Chaudhary said, “Voters today are even more informed. They know whom to vote for if elections are held simultaneously. Their critical thinking ability should not be underestimated. Voters know exactly which party to support based on the issue at hand in Lok Sabha, assembly or local body elections.”

The JPC concluded its three-day visit to the state on Thursday.

On the final day of consultations at GIFT City in Gandhinagar, the panel interacted with advocates, NGOs, industrial associations, educationists and members of civil society. During the discussions, representatives of industry bodies such as the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Assocham and the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) expressed support for the proposal.

A representative of CII suggested that migrant workers should be provided e-voting facilities, noting that industries suffer production losses during elections because labourers often return to their native places to vote.

Gujarat University vice-chancellor Neerja Gupta also supported the proposal while flagging concerns related to disruption of academic schedules during frequent elections. She told the committee that university examinations are often affected because teaching and administrative staff are deployed for election duties.

In reply to a question on the scenario in Gujarat if Lok Sabha and state assembly polls are to be held simultaneously, Chaudhary said that if the law is passed in 2029, the next assembly election in Gujarat will be held in 2034.

“The next assembly election in Gujarat will be held in 2027, and if the law comes into force in 2029, then Gujarat will go to polls simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls of 2034,” he said.

He said the representation made by the Gujarat govt had been the most comprehensive so far and that he had asked the state chief secretary to provide him a detailed report that could be given to other states as a reference.