Lok Sabha and Assembly elections timing has turned into an angry and hateful debate. Holding polls jointly was a rule that found favor in four general elections from 1952 to 1967. Respected nonpartisan institutes have supported the idea including the Election Commission, Law Commission and parliamentary committees. The reason rules were changed was the 1967 election when Indira Gandhi lost several state elections. Political footballs were played in those states for majority votes. Then the emergency came along in 1976 and the 1977 elections changed the land scape of Indian election history.
Presently the JD(U), SP, TRS, AIADMK, BJD and SAD, and the BJP support the idea, the Congress, the Left, TMC, RJD, TDP, AIMIM and AAP oppose it as a constitutional issue.
India is a democracy to the core, but who can deny the truth that each MP candidate spends tens pf crores of rupees on an election, and several crores by MLA contestants. And all this is mostly undeclared black money. We are far from reforms on this issue. All major parties share the blame. And we are very far from finance controls like US elections, and still American elections and corruption are among the highest in the world. On top of candidate expenses, it is the Government of India treasury that gets hit by expenses of managing fate of the greatest democracy of the cavillation ever evolved, representing 1.3 billion people and their welfare. And our people are dying from diseases, poverty and hunger, with highest mortality rate of infants in modern world.
Both political forces should be ashamed if they can not sit together and find a common ground. Both forces must come above pettiness of who gains and wins in this election issue. We are not living in 1967. Differences must be forgotten and forgiven if we want to preserve our precious democracy. We are not China or Pakistan, we are not USA and though democracy was preached by colonial British masters, India has evolved a great democratic model in last seventy great years at expense of hard work and devotion by our forefathers. Let us not waste ourselves in political footballs any more.
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