Chouhan Accuses Congress of Sabotaging Simultaneous Polls

Chidambaram recently testified before the Joint Parliamentary Committee, labeling the proposed legislation a violation of the Constitution's basic structure and dismissing the possibility of implementing simultaneous polls by 2029. He characterized the move as a "constitutional monstrosity" that threatens India’s federal democracy, promising a nationwide campaign against the bill.

Chouhan countered that simultaneous elections were the norm in 1952, 1957, 1962, and 1967 before Congress-led interventions forced a shift. He cited reports from the Law Commission and a high-level committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind as evidence that synchronization is both necessary and constitutionally sound. Beyond legal arguments, the Minister emphasized that the constant cycle of elections drains administrative resources, distracting officials from development and public welfare. He claimed that the burden of frequent campaigning keeps teachers, police, and civil servants from their primary duties, making reform a matter of national interest.