PIL in Delhi HC seeks direction to conduct LS, Assembly polls together in 2024

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has been moved for direction to the Central government and the Election Commission (EC) to determine if it is feasible to hold the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections at the same time in 2024.
In his Public Interest Litigation (PIL), petitioner, advocate Ashwini K. Upadhyay sought a direction to both to conduct elections on holidays, including Saturdays and Sundays, in order to save valuable time of schools, colleges, universities, service industries, and manufacturing organisations.
He has sumitted that it is crucial to hold the elections concurrently in order to save public money, lessen the load on the security forces and public administration on election duty, and EC staff who have to organise booths, electronic voting machines and voter slips.
The plea states: “As elections have become a big budget affair and expensive, the Law Commission of India, in its 170th Report on Reform of Electoral Laws (1999) has suggested simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, for the sake of stability in governance. But the Centre and the EC did not take appropriate steps.” Also Read PIL in SC seeks prosecution of short sellers for ‘artificial’ crashing of Adani Group’s stock value Upadhyay has asked for the Law Commission’s recommendations to be implemented.
The plea further states that the elections to assemblies whose terms are expiring in 2023 and 2024 may be brought together with 2024 Lok Sabha election by curtailing or extending their tenure.