Lok Sabha Question No. 1076 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-22
Subject: Simultaneous General and Assemblies Election
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Bhagirath Chaudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1076

## TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, 22 ND  JULY, 2022

## Simultaneous General and Assemblies Election

†1076. SHRI BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY:

Will the Minister of Law and Justice be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the frequency of elections conducted in some States or the other every year in the country not only affects the administrative and policy decisions but also puts heavy burden on the State Exchequer;
- (b)  if  so,  the  total  number  of  Legislative  Assembly  and  Lok  Sabha elections  conducted  since  2014  and  the  total  expenditure  incurred thereon;
- (c)  the  year-wise  and State-wise details of the total number of States where polls were held during the said period along with the expenditure incurred  thereon  and  the  total  number  of  days  spent  in  conducting elections;
- (d)  whether  the  Law  Commission  of  India  in  its  170th  Report  has endorsed simultaneous elections of Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  the  implementation  of  the report concerning political and electoral reforms?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

- (a)  :    The  Department  Related  Parliamentary  Standing  Committee  on simultaneous elections on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law & Justice in its  Seventy-ninth  Report  has  observed  that  frequent  elections  lead  to

disruption  of  normal  public  life  and  impact  the  functioning  of  essential services  and  that  it  would  reduce  the  massive  expenditure  incurred  for conduct of separate elections every year.

- (b)  &  (c):  Elections were held for fifty State Legislative Assemblies during the period from 2014 to 2022.  The details of the States are attached at Annexure  'A'.    As  per  standing  instructions  on  the  subject,  the  entire expenditure on conduct of elections to Lok Sabha is to be borne by the Central Government and such expenditure on the conduct of election to the  State  Legislatures  is  borne  by  the  respective  State  Governments when  such  elections  are  held  independently.  In  case  the  elections  are held  simultaneously,  the  expenditure  is  borne  by  the  concerned  State Governments  and  the  Central  Government  on  50:50:  ratio  basis.    The details  of  the  funds  released  to  the  States/Union  territories  during  the period from 2014 to 2019 are given below:
- (d):    The  Department  Related  Parliament  Standing  Committee  on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice had examined the issue of simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies

| Year    |   Rs. (In Crore) |
|---------|------------------|
| 2014-15 |           510    |
| 2015-16 |          1490.16 |
| 2016-17 |           356.14 |
| 2017-18 |          1199.85 |
| 2018-19 |           886.11 |
| 2019-20 |          1372.03 |
| 2020-21 |            60.87 |
| 2021-22 |          1556.86 |

in consultation with various stake-holders including Election Commission of  India.    The  Committee  has  giver  certain  recommendations  in  this regard  in  its  79 th Report.    The  matter  now  stands  referred  to  the  Law Commission  for  further  examination  to  work  out  practicable  road  map and  framework  for  simultaneous  elections  to  Lok  Sabha  and  State Assemblies.

(e): On the recommendation of the Election Commission, the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021 has been enacted by Parliament, which provides  for  the  various  electoral  reforms.    Further,  the  issues  of electoral  reform  are  continuous  and  ongoing  process  that  involves  a major policy decision in consultation with all stakeholders and the same are considered and implemented through various amendment Acts from time to time.

*******

## ANNEXURE-A STATE WISE AND YEAR WISE ELECTIONS FROM 2014-2022

| Sr. No.   | State Name                | No. of Days from Announcement to Completion of Election   |
|-----------|---------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
| 2014      | 2014                      | 2014                                                      |
| 1         | Jharkhand                 | 66                                                        |
| 2         | Jammu & Kashmir           | 66                                                        |
| 3         | Haryana                   | 41                                                        |
| 4         | Maharastra                | 41                                                        |
| 5         | Arunachal Pradesh         | 80                                                        |
| 6         | Andhra Pradesh            | 80                                                        |
| 7         | Odisha                    | 80                                                        |
| 8         | Sikkim                    | 80                                                        |
| 2015      | 2015                      | 2015                                                      |
| 9         | Bihar                     | 65                                                        |
| 10        | NCT of Delhi              | 32                                                        |
| 2016      | 2016                      | 2016                                                      |
| 11        | Assam                     | 79                                                        |
| 12        | Kerala                    | 79                                                        |
| 13        | Puducherry                | 79                                                        |
| 14        | Tamil Nadu                | 79                                                        |
| 15        | West Bengal               | 79                                                        |
| 2017      | 2017                      | 2017                                                      |
| 16        | Gujarat                   | 56                                                        |
| 17        | Himachal Pradesh          | 70                                                        |
| 18        | Goa                       | 71                                                        |
| 19        | Manipur                   | 71                                                        |
| 20        | Punjab                    | 71                                                        |
| 21        | Uttar Pradesh             | 71                                                        |
| 22        | Uttrakhand                | 71                                                        |
| 2018      | 2018                      | 2018                                                      |
| 23        | Chhatisgarh               | 69                                                        |
| 24        | Madhya Pradesh            | 69                                                        |
| 25        | Rajasthan                 | 69                                                        |
| 26        | Mizoram                   | 69                                                        |
| 27        | Telangana                 | 69                                                        |
| 28        | Tripura                   | 47                                                        |
| 29        | Meghalaya                 | 47                                                        |
| 30        | Nagaland                  | 47                                                        |
| 31        | Karnataka                 | 53                                                        |
| 2019      | 2019                      | 2019                                                      |
| 32        | Jharkhand                 | 56                                                        |
| 33        | Haryana                   | 37                                                        |
| 34        | Maharashtra               | 37                                                        |
| 35        | Arunachal Pradesh         | 79                                                        |
| 36        | Andhra Pradesh            | 79                                                        |
| 37        | Odisha                    | 79                                                        |
| 38        | Sikkim                    | 79                                                        |
| 2020      | 2020                      | 2020                                                      |
| 39        | NCT of Delhi              | 39                                                        |
| 40        | Bihar                     | 49                                                        |
| 2021      | 2021                      | 2021                                                      |
| 41        | Assam                     | 67                                                        |
| 42        | Kerala                    | 67                                                        |
| 43        | Tamil Nadu                | 67                                                        |
| 44        | West Bengal               | 67                                                        |
| 45        | Puducherry                | 67                                                        |
| 2022      | 2022                      | 2022                                                      |
| 46        | Goa                       | 64                                                        |
| 47        | Manipur                   | 64                                                        |
| 48        | Punjab                    | 64                                                        |
| 49 50     | Uttarakhand Uttar Pradesh | 64 64                                                     |