If only Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections — and not local body polls — are held simultaneously in 2029, the Election Commission would need at least around Rs 8,000 crore for procuring EVMs and VVPAT units, the poll panel informed the high-level committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind. The one nation-one election panel submitted its report to President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday. According to the annexures to the report, as a part of its consultations with stakeholders, the Kovind-led panel had on January 12 and February 20 written to the EC asking for its views. While the EC did not meet the committee, it sent the Kovind panel the same response on logistical and funding requirements it had to the Law Commission on March 17, 2023, noting there was no change in its views on simultaneous polls. The EC also told the Kovind panel that its assessments of EVMs, personnel and material required did not consider simultaneous polls to local bodies. Holding municipal and panchayat elections is the responsibility of State Election Commissions. Thus, the EC told the Kovind panel, “A change in the electoral paradigm would require a serious re-engineering of the backend processes, while ensuring the core principles of equity, to deliver on any proposed change in the design itself." As per the EC’s assessments in March 2023, the number of polling stations was expected to increase by 15% from 10.38 lakh in 2019 to 11.93 lakh in 2024, which would lead to an increase in personnel and EVMs required. The number of companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) were estimated to increase by 50% from 3,146 companies in 2019 to 4,719 companies in 2024. And if Assembly elections are to be held simultaneously with Lok Sabha polls, these numbers would go up further, it said. The manufacture of EVMs by two PSUs - BEL and ECIL - would need adequate lead time, the EC said, estimating that a total of 53.76 lakh ballot units, 38.67 lakh control units of EVMs and 41.65 lakh VVPATs would be needed for simultaneous polls in 2029. The shortfall that would need to be addressed would be to the tune of 26.55 lakh ballot units, 17.78 lakh control units and 17.79 lakh VVPATs, which would cost Rs.7,951.37 crore, it said.
