Simultaneous elections are an unimplementable idea. Why is Modi so keen to push it?

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India is a “union of states”, according to its Constitution. But its states – many of them bigger than some countries – often have to bend the knee to the Centre. The latest example: on Thursday, the Union government accepted the report of a high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind recommending that India should hold elections for the Centre, states and even local bodies at the same time.

The idea is not new. Till 1967, India did in fact have simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state legislatures. But then, election patterns diverged as various state Assemblies and the Union Parliament were dissolved at different times. The idea was brought back into play in 1999, when the Union government’s Law Commission of India argued that Central and state elections should be held together.

Modi obsession

The idea has been particularly popular with Narendra Modi. After...

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