If this GoM recommends, Lok Sabha and assembly polls will be held simultaneously to save a lot of money

The group of ministers (GoM) that was set up to examine the Election Commission’s proposal to buy new EVMs has also been asked to necessarily examine the feasibility of holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls so that the cost involved in the democratic exercise can be brought down.

However, at the first meeting of this group that Home Minister Rajnath Singh led, it was felt that this panel might not be the right authority to decide on the issue of simultaneous polls.

Therefore, the GoM has now been asked to first recommend possible ways that can reduce the cost of buying new EVMs, after which it can ponder over the recommendations on simultaneous polls.

The other members of this panel include Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh.

It was during a meeting of BJP office-bearers on March 19 that PM Modi had said that state elections coupled with local-level polls, which virtually happen every year, don’t let the welfare measures work. He was also very keen on simultaneous elections once in five years.

The government is of the view that while one-time cost in holding simultaneous polls would of course be very high, but the whole exercise may bring down expenditure involved in the proceedings of elections, like deployment of central forces and polling personnel.

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