Kovind Committee weighing impact of simultaneous polls on GDP growth, crime rate and education outcomes

The paper, sources said, covers impact of simultaneous elections on various aspects. These include examining the effect of simultaneous elections on education, with teachers often being assigned election duties. It also assessed the impact of simultaneous elections on GDP growth and investment. Those in favour of simultaneous elections argue that developmental work is disrupted because of the implementation of the model code of conduct and government staff being posted for election duty. The committee also discussed potential consequences on crime outcomes, given that a significant portion of security forces is deployed to ensure smooth conduct of elections.

N K Singh told The Indian Express, “Yes, a draft paper on the macroeconomic impact of syncing elections was presented to the committee last week. We have looked at what happens to GDP growth, investment, fiscal deficits, educational outcomes, crime outcomes, freebies, and how uncertainty affects the decision-making process.” He abstained from saying anything further. Singh and Mishra’s paper would undergo changes based on the comments received from committee members.

On Wednesday, Kovind met NCP leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Dattatray Tatkare and Rashtriya Jok Janata Dal president Upendra Kushwaha, as part of the consultative process, the Law Ministry said in a statement. On Tuesday, Kovind had met former Chief Justice of Bombay High Court Pradeep Nandrajog.

The high-level committee is scheduled to continue its discussion on the economic impact of multiple elections in its upcoming consultations later this week and next week. According to sources, representatives from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), two prominent industry bodies, are expected to deliver presentations on the potential savings for corporates if elections were held once every five years. Among the issues likely to be discussed is how corporate donations might differ, possibly increasing, if all polls were consolidated into a single cycle every five years, as opposed to the current practice of multiple cycles spread over the five-year period.

The committee has held four formal meetings since it was set up on September 2, 2023. As part of these meetings, the committee has held consultations with eminent jurists, including former Chief Justice of India Justice U U Lalit, former Madras High Court Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Bar Council of India chairman Manan Kumar Mishra and former Chief Election Commissioners, including O P Rawat and Sushil Chandra. It had also sought views of political parties and also opened a window for the public to send in suggestions from January 5 to January 15.

The Union government, led by the BJP at the Centre, has often advocated for simultaneous election on the ground that the frequent implementation of the model code of conduct disrupts governance and holding all elections once every five years would amount to huge savings for the exchequer.

The model code of conduct contains general precepts for model behaviour during elections conducted by the Election Commission (EC). It has eight provisions, with one dedicated to what the party in power can and cannot do once elections are announced. It forbids use of official machinery and personnel for the political gains of the party in power. Hence, the spirit of model code of conduct also requires the bureaucracy or any public servant to not engage or appear to engage in an activity that could work to the advantage of the party in power. Since, MCC is only a moral code and lacks any statutory backing, the EC, at best, can censure, advise or pull up the person found violating it.

While the high-level committee had also written to the Election Commission seeking a meeting to hear its views on holding simultaneous elections. In its third meeting, on January 21, the committee “noted” the suggestions of the EC, according to a Law Ministry statement.

As first reported by The Indian Express on January 25, the EC, had told the Law Commission in a written response last year describing MCC as a “vital instrumentality” in providing a level-playing field to everyone, and integral to the design of conducting free and fair elections for credible electoral outcomes. The response is significant since it is the first time that the poll watchdog had so staunchly defended the model code of conduct stating “it would not be correct” to view its application as a “disruption”. Apart from the Kovind Committee, the 22nd Law Commission has been specifically assigned by the Union government to study the feasibility of conducting simultaneous polls.

It is pertinent to note the EC has never opposed the idea of simultaneous elections in its submissions to the Union Law Ministry, Law Commission, and even the Parliamentary Standing Committee, which had examined the issue and submitted a report on the same in 2015. The EC has only flagged logistical challenges pertaining to their conduct and what EC would need to do in advance to prepare for the gargantuan task.