Overview

• At a Sept. 24 hearing, the Joint Parliamentary Committee took testimony from Arvind Panagariya and Surjit S. Bhalla, who backed synchronising polls, and Montek Singh Ahluwalia, who questioned the economic case.
• Chair P.P. Chaudhary referenced studies suggesting simultaneous elections could lift GDP by about 1.5%, or roughly Rs 7 lakh crore, framing the session as part of an ongoing review.
• Panagariya argued frequent polls and repeated Model Code of Conduct impositions delay policymaking and shift spending toward subsidies, citing the Finance Commission’s 2024 consultations being slowed.
• Bhalla proposed holding all state assembly elections together at the mid-point of a Lok Sabha term to cut election frequency and said fewer polls could reduce violence linked to election periods.
• Ahluwalia disputed claims of a growth bump or spending savings from synchronisation, said election outlays would be largely unchanged, and suggested national and state elections be kept separate or that states vote together.