Simultaneous polls will not reduce expenditure: Prithviraj Chavan

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said that having simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies would not reduce expenditure as was being touted by votaries of the "one nation one poll" initiative.

BJP president Amit Shah had yesterday written a letter to the Law Commission stating that holding simultaneous polls is not only a concept, but a principle which can be implemented.

In his eight-page letter, Shah said that holding Lok Sabha and assembly polls together would check expenditure and ensure that the nation is not in "election mode" throughout the year.

Chavan said that the process to have simultaneous state and general polls would increase the requirement of electronic voting machines as well as expenditure on their storage and maintenance.

"During the code of conduct (in place before the polls), only new policy decisions cannot be taken. If a government hasn't performed during five years of its tenure, it is not expected to deliver in the last 45 days," Chavan said.

Chavan said that a Constitutional amendment as well as a law would be required to have Lok Sabha and Assembly polls together.

Moreover, he said that elections in a parliamentary democracy could take place any time.

"There were general elections in 1996, 1998 and 1999. If a no confidence motion succeeds, the government has to be step down," Chavan said.