Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi on Wednesday, 20 May said the state has already practised key elements of the 'One Nation, One Election' concept by conducting local self-government polls simultaneously, as the state government presented its formal support for simultaneous elections before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) in Gandhinagar. The remarks came after the committee held consultations with Gujarat officials and political parties as part of a three-day nationwide tour.

Gujarat's Local Body Election Model

Addressing reporters after the committee meeting, Sanghavi said Gujarat had previously organised elections for municipal corporations, municipalities, district panchayats, and taluka panchayats either on the same day or within the minimum possible time gap. He described this as a replicable model for other states.

'Our state has already moved ahead in this direction. In the local self-government elections, elections for municipal corporations, municipalities, district panchayats, and taluka panchayats were planned together on the same day or within the minimum possible number of days, and in this way, we have been able to create a truly good model and new direction for all the states of the country,' Sanghavi said.

What the State Government Told the JPC

The state government, led by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, conveyed to the committee that simultaneous elections would serve the interests of the country, the state, and citizens by reducing repeated electoral exercises and associated administrative disruption. Sanghavi argued that elections demand months of preparation and that the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct routinely stalls routine governance and citizen welfare work.

'Generally, once elections are declared, all these activities cause major disruption to work related to the welfare of ordinary citizens,' he said.

The Case Against Repeated Electoral Cycles

Sanghavi contended that frequent elections place significant demands on public resources, government staff, security forces, and voters. He noted that citizens are required to visit polling stations two or three times within a five-year period, with urban activity and offices often coming to a halt during each election cycle.

'A person has to go to vote two or three times in five years, travelling from home to the polling station. During every election, many activities in cities stop, offices remain closed, and people have to stand in queues every time,' he said. He further argued that synchronised polls could reduce local-level tensions and disputes that tend to surface during repeated electoral cycles in villages and urban areas.

JPC Visit and Broader Consultations

The 39-member JPC, chaired by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP P. P. Chaudhary, is examining the constitutional, legal, and administrative feasibility of holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections across India. During the Gujarat leg of its tour, the panel met senior state officials, ministers, MLAs, and the Speaker of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. Representatives from the BJP, Indian National Congress (Congress), and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also participated in discussions.

Chaudhary had earlier described Gujarat's presentation before the committee as a 'model presentation' and suggested that similar structured formats could be recommended to other states. The committee's nationwide consultations are expected to inform its final report on the feasibility of the simultaneous elections proposal.