Voters are intelligent enough to distinguish between issues concerning assembly, Lok Sabha and local body elections even if polls are held simultaneously, PP Chaudhary, chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on ‘One Nation One Election’, said on Thursday, dismissing concerns that national narratives would overshadow local issues.
Speaking after the conclusion of the JPC’s three-day Gujarat visit, Chaudhary asserted that Indian voters, particularly in rural areas, possess enough political awareness to differentiate between national, state and local concerns while casting their votes.
Media representatives interacting with the panel at GIFT City in Gandhinagar had raised apprehensions that simultaneous elections could blur local governance issues under broader national campaigns. Rejecting the argument, the BJP MP said voters already demonstrate the ability to make distinct choices in different elections.
Pointing to Delhi, Chaudhary noted that voters elected BJP candidates in all seven Lok Sabha seats while backing the Aam Aadmi Party in assembly polls held separately. Similar trends, he added, have been visible in states such as Rajasthan, where one party forms the state government while another dominates Lok Sabha elections.
The committee, which began its Gujarat tour on May 19, interacted with advocates, NGOs, industrial associations, educationists and media representatives on the final day of consultations.
Industry bodies including the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), ASSOCHAM and the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) backed the proposal for simultaneous elections.
A CII representative suggested introducing e-voting facilities for migrant workers, arguing that industries suffer major production losses during elections as labourers travel back to their native places to vote.
Chaudhary echoed the concern, saying the migration of workers during elections causes widespread disruption to economic activity and production, with losses that are difficult to quantify.
Gujarat University vice-chancellor Dr Neerja Gupta also supported the proposal, highlighting repeated disruption to academic schedules because teaching and administrative staff are deployed for election duties.
Referring to recent local body polls in Gujarat, Gupta pointed out that examinations had to be postponed till May, resulting in shorter summer vacations and delays in the academic calendar. She further noted that prolonged sessions increase the government’s financial burden, as international students studying in India become eligible for extended scholarship support.
Chaudhary said similar concerns had been raised during the JPC’s earlier visits to Punjab and Haryana, where educational institutions had extended unconditional support to simultaneous elections, arguing that repeated polls adversely affect students and academic schedules.
The Congress, however, opposed the proposal during its interaction with the panel on Wednesday.
A delegation led by Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda argued that holding parliamentary, assembly and local body polls together would suppress state-specific issues and create voter confusion by allowing national narratives to dominate campaigns.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also met the committee during the visit and extended support for simultaneous elections.
Addressing reporters on Thursday, Chaudhary described ‘One Nation One Election’ as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to transform India into a developed nation by 2047.
He claimed separate Lok Sabha and assembly elections result in a direct economic loss of Rs 7 lakh crore, besides causing “massive non-quantifiable indirect losses” to the country.