Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has strongly supported the concept of “One Nation, One Election”, citing repeated disruptions caused by frequent imposition of the Model Code of Conduct during staggered elections. He stated that in the past three years, due to Lok Sabha, Assembly, and municipal elections, Uttarakhand’s administrative machinery remained out of policy decision-making processes for nearly 175 days — a critical loss for a resource-constrained state.
Speaking at an interaction program with the Parliamentary Committee on “One Nation, One Election” at a hotel on Mussoorie Road, the Chief Minister welcomed Committee Chairperson PP Chaudhary and its members. He emphasized that during each election, a large number of personnel are diverted from their core duties to election work, delaying regular governance.
CM Dhami highlighted that currently, the state bears the entire cost of Assembly elections, while the Centre funds Lok Sabha polls. If both elections are held simultaneously, the financial burden would be equally shared, resulting in 30–35% cost savings. These funds could be redirected to essential sectors like health, education, roads, water, agriculture, and women empowerment.
He also pointed out that holding elections during the Char Dham Yatra season (June–September) and the financial year-end (January–March) causes operational challenges. Furthermore, board examinations in February–March stretch administrative resources. He stressed that “One Nation, One Election” is particularly important for hill states like Uttarakhand, given their tough geographical conditions.
