Letter to BS: Simultaneous Lok Sabha and state polls will not save costs

This is with reference to “Drop the idea of simultaneous polls” (May 2). Dr YV Reddy’s caution on simultaneous polls for Parliament and state assemblies is timely.  He has effectively demolished the view that simultaneous elections save costs. Costs should never be the issue, even otherwise. He also debunked the view that if national parties dominate state assemblies, there can be better development. Indeed, regional parties were more creative in their governance without jeopardising any national interests. The argument for simultaneous elections is not new.

If India is a union of states, as the constitution envisaged, states should be able to sack inefficient governments mid-way and choose new ones. In simultaneous elections, centrally appointed governors will rule till the next general elections, thus denying states of popular representation. Given the present dispensation at the Centre, they want one single, all-powerful leader and his party to rule the entire country with a deterministic nationalism at the cost of diversity and creative contextual governance. It is time more intellectuals of Dr Reddy’s like spoke as effectively.

Sudarsanam Padam,  Hyderabad

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