CHENNAI: The principal opposition party DMK on Sunday described the proposal of the Law Commission to hold simultaneous polls to Parliament and State Assemblies a ‘complete misadventure’ that will ‘decimate’ the federal structure.
In a letter to the Chairman of the Law Commission, party working president MK Stalin said the working paper circulated by the Commission was ‘useless’.
Recalling that an earlier Law Commission had already reported on the issue exhaustively and Parliament was sceptical whether this idea could ever be implemented.
He said the present move was a redundant exercise that has no chances of being legislated. He also cautioned that the credibility of the commission would diminish.
Explaining the logistical issues and requirement of a huge sum for procuring the necessary material for polling, he said purchase of EVMs and VVPATs for simultaneous polls would alone cost `10,000 crore, a recurring expenditure every 15 years and noted that the entire poll expenditure in 2014 general election was only `3,870 crore.
He said the proposal of simultaneous elections went against the ‘basic tenets’ of the Constitution and ‘established principles’ of democratic functioning.
Rajya Sabha Member ‘Tiruchy’ Siva represented DMK at the consultative meet called by the Commission in New Delhi on Sunday to convey his party’s views in the matter.