PP Chaudhary, chairman of the Joint Committee of Parliament examining the legislation, disclosed the commission’s preliminary position after the panel completed three days of consultations with academics in Lucknow on Wednesday. The submission indicates that the constitutional authority responsible for national and state elections considers the exercise administratively feasible, provided adequate preparation time is available.
Chaudhary said the commission would submit a detailed presentation to the committee later. That assessment is expected to address requirements including electronic voting machines, voter-verifiable paper audit trail units, polling personnel, security deployment, transportation, warehousing and the scheduling of elections across states with different assembly terms.
The committee is examining the Constitution Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws Bill, 2024. The proposed changes are intended to synchronise elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, ending the cycle of polls held in different parts of the country almost every year.
The Election Commission’s readiness does not settle the political and constitutional questions surrounding the proposal. Parliament must approve the constitutional amendment by a two-thirds majority of members present and voting, with that majority also exceeding half the total membership of each House. Some proposed provisions may also require ratification by at least half the states.
Chaudhary has said the committee is working towards creating a legal and procedural framework that could make simultaneous elections possible alongside the 2029 Lok Sabha contest. He has also stressed that implementation would depend on political agreement and the readiness of all stakeholders.
The bills envisage the President issuing a notification on an “appointed date” linked to the first sitting of a newly elected Lok Sabha. Assemblies elected after that date would have their terms shortened so that their dissolution coincides with the end of the Lok Sabha’s tenure. Elections to the lower House and all state assemblies could then be held together.
Where the Election Commission concludes that an assembly election cannot be conducted as part of the simultaneous exercise, it may recommend postponement. A later election in that state would produce an assembly serving only the remaining portion of the Lok Sabha’s term, allowing the common electoral cycle to be restored.
Supporters argue that synchronised elections would reduce repeated expenditure, prolonged deployment of security personnel and disruption caused by the Model Code of Conduct. They also say governments would be able to focus more consistently on administration and policy instead of preparing for elections at frequent intervals.
Opposition parties and constitutional specialists have raised concerns about federalism, premature curtailment of elected assemblies and the consequences of a government losing its majority before completing its term. Questions have also been raised over whether a single national electoral cycle could give national campaigns greater influence over state issues and regional parties.
The plan draws heavily on recommendations made by the high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind. Its report proposed simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections as the first stage, followed by municipal and panchayat elections within 100 days. It also recommended a common electoral roll and voter identity system developed in consultation with state election commissions.
Operational estimates prepared for a combined national exercise have pointed to the need for more than one crore voting-machine components. These include about 48 lakh ballot units, 35 lakh control units and 34 lakh VVPAT machines. Procurement, production, testing and secure storage would have to be completed well before polling.
The parliamentary committee has been holding consultations with political parties, constitutional experts, administrators, academics and state representatives. During its Uttar Pradesh visit, it sought opinions on the legal, financial and administrative implications of conducting elections together.
