The central Cabinet of Minister has given in-principle nod for simultaneous elections proposal in India to make election process more smooth and hassle-free. The polls will be held together for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announces.
The approval of the Cabinet comes months after discussions and a report from high-level committee led by ex-president Ram Nath Kovind.
The report suggests synchronised elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies initially. And will be followed by nationwide body local elections within one hundred days.
The initiative costs money and we hope to make the elections less frequent as currently the elections take place every few months on each level of governance. The move is anticipated to reduce tax filing and compliance on financial and administrative costs.
Prime Minister’s Support
One nation, one election has been a strong contention from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi itself. In his Independence Day speech last month he singled out the disruptions caused by frequent polls as something that needed to stop. He claimed that these elections are an impediment to nation-building, drawing links between various schematics and initiatives, with electoral calendars.
A report has recently been sent to the government on the proposal, recommending “One Nation, One Election” which is led by a committee of former President Ram Nath Kovind. It Says The Concept Of Simultaneous Assembly And Lok Sabha Polls in the Country is Promoted
The panel also asked for the views of the Election Commission of India, economists, and as many as 39 political parties. The panel supports the concept of ‘One Nation, One Election’. But, it is also necessary to have a legally sustainable framework that would bring the electoral cycles in harmony with each other.
The report is presented to the current President of India, Droupadi Murmu. According to the report, it is an unanimous view of the committee that there should be simultaneous polls in the country.
Let us understand what exactly is the “One Nation, One Election”
What is an Election?
An election is a process in which people choose an individual or group to carry out a public office by voting. In a democratic system, this is usually how the government determines to do what the people desire.
The elections are conducted for various positions:
Elections can be held for various positions, such as:
- Political offices: Presidents, prime ministers, governors, mayors, and legislators.
- Corporate positions: Board members, CEOs, and other executive roles.
- Organizational positions: Club, Association, or Group Leaders
One Nation, One Election
One Nation, One Election is a proposed electoral reform in India that calls for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha (the lower house of the Indian Parliament) and to the state legislative assemblies. The idea behind the resolve is to put an end to interruptions by elections one after another. Which not only halt development and governance but are likely to go against the will of people in several cases.
In this way, elections to all these bodies will be held on a single date. Which could significantly bring down the costs and administrative complexity of conducting elections. Still, major election reform brings logistical complications and the potential for political advantage that could limit viability.
- In September 2023, the Union government constituted a High-Level Committee on One Nation, One Election (OoNE), headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
- 62 political parties were approached by the committee, 32 were in favor of the idea. 15 were against and another 12 failed to respond.
- At the end of March 2024, the committee gave its final report. An 18,626-page document that proposes 18 amendments to the Constitution. Then fixes this new electoral cycle on a notional “Appointed Date” on or after January 2029.
- This will mean increasing or reducing the term served by certain state assemblies and dissolving others even before its original 5 years to align with the new cycle.
- Besides, the Law Commission projected a cost of Rs 4,500 crore for holding simultaneous elections including expenses to be borne on this account by candidates and parties.
- Nearly Rs. 4,000 crore was spent on conducting the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and the 2015 Bihar elections consumed Rs. 300 crore
- The Election Commission of India has earlier estimated that the proposal may cost Rs. 4,500 crore.
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History One Nation One Election
- They elected Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies together from 1951-52 to 1967.
- The election cycle interrupted this cycle in the late 1960s and early 1970s. By premature dissolutions of some Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha.
- The Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies hold their elections separately.
- The Election Commission, Law Commission, and Parliamentary Standing Committee have variously supported the idea.
- Making simultaneous elections possible will further take a complete restructuring of the Constitution.
- Simultaneous elections have been a pet theme of the Prime Minister since 2016.
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Pros Of One Nation, One Election
| Pros | Details |
| Cost-effective | It helps to reduce administrative and logistical costs by holding elections in the entire country together. |
| Time-efficient | It might not create the right problems for governance and development well within a single election cycle. |
| Increased voter turnout | One election day might increase voter turnout. |
| Reduced political instability | Simultaneous elections may reduce the number of political changes and give some more stability. |
| Improved governance | One election cycle is enough for governments to be concentrating on the implementation of long-term policy, instead of getting sidetracked every other week by an impending election campaign. |
| Enhanced national unity | A unified electoral experience would rescue the shattered sense of national unity completely. |
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Cons of One Nation, One Election
| Cons | Details |
| Increased complexity | Coordinating elections in diverse regions with differing political landscapes can be difficult. |
| Reduced local focus | Sometimes national elections drown out local problems and issues. |
| Potential for gerrymandering | One result of a single election cycle is that districts can be gerrymandered and manipulated accordingly |
| Increased political polarization | National elections can intensify political divisions and polarization. |
| Reduced responsiveness to local needs | A one-election cycle limit results in an inability for elected officials to address special, local concerns quickly. |
| Potential for electoral fatigue | Frequent elections can lead to voter fatigue and decreased interest in the democratic process. |
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Relevant Cases and Examples
1. Raja Ram Pal v. Honble Speaker, Lok Sabha (2007):
That was the point where we took off discussing the anti-defection law in India and how it is almost single-handedly driving our government stability. This could affect the behavior of defection and party switching.
2. Just So That the Left Becomes So in Tamil Nadu ONOE of Tamil Nadu
In Tamil Nadu, a state with a politics that is very different making our voice heard against the proposal has been particularly difficult. These issues illustrate the challenges of operationalizing this principle, as they reveal a tension between the state’s interests in regional representation and autonomy.
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