It was one of the major election pledges. The “One Nation, One Election” proposal has been endorsed by the Union Cabinet 101 days after the third Narendra Modi government took office. A group headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind advocated in a report holding panchayat and Lok Sabha elections concurrently with urban body elections.
It is expected that the Bill will be presented during the next winter session of Parliament. The initiative has already received backing from the Janata Dal (United) and the Lok Janshakti Party, two important partners of the BJP. The Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, reaffirmed on Wednesday that the government would carry out “One Nation, One Election” this term. This is the day that the Cabinet made its decision. Since he began his first term in 2014, Prime Minister Modi has made simultaneous polls a commitment. During his Independence Day speech last month, Prime Minister Modi supported it.
One Nation, One Election will be implemented in two parts, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced to the media following the Cabinet decision. Within a hundred days of the first phase ending, the second phase would cover local body elections and the first phase would cover Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
One Nation, One Election – The idea
It is, as the name implies, the concept of concurrent national and state elections. Historically, from 1951–1952, elections to the Lok Sabha and different State Legislative Assemblies were held largely concurrently. This cycle was broken in 1967.
Notably, several state elections were conducted concurrently with this Lok Sabha election. They were Odisha, Sikkim, and Andhra Pradesh.
How will One Nation, One Election become operational?
The report of a group headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind served as the foundation for the Cabinet’s acceptance of the One Nation, One Election concept. The group headed by Kovind had sent in its recommendations in March.
Elections for the Lok Sabha and State assemblies will take place in the first phase, and local elections for panchayats and municipal governments would take place 100 days later, according to the panel.
In cooperation with state election officials, the panel has also demanded that the Election Commission of India (ECI) create a single voter ID card and a uniform electoral roll for all elections. The research suggested changing Article 325 of the Constitution in order to address this.
How much support for One Nation, One Election?
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, has been an outspoken advocate for holding elections in tandem with one another. Shortly following his reelection in 2019, Modi had announced the formation of a panel to debate the issue with all political parties.
As a matter of fact, the BJP has always been an advocate of simultaneous elections. The proposal has previously been considered by then-prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and then-president of the Congress, Sonia Gandhi. In 2010, seasoned BJP leader LK Advani had also discussed the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Many point out that a One Nation, One Election proposal would drastically reduce election costs. The Election Commission (EC) estimates that the 2019 Lok Sabha elections cost Rs 10,000 crore. This amount is estimated, informally, to have been Rs 60,000 crore in 2019 and Rs 30,000 crore in the general elections of 2014.
States, meanwhile, spend between Rs 250 and Rs 500 crore on each Assembly election. Proponents assert that this expense would be significantly decreased by holding elections at the same time.
Supporters claim that the implementation of One Nation, One Election will also make governance easier. They contend that the Election Commission applies the Model Code of Conduct, delaying the introduction of initiatives or policy proposals because elections are held in some parts of the nation virtually every.
Additionally, others contend that conducting elections concurrently would increase voter turnout. It would be simpler for voters to cast multiple ballots at once rather than on separate occasions, as the Law Commission had previously stated.
Additionally, One Nation, One Election will lessen the strain on the security forces, who are tasked with making sure that elections go smoothly and without violence.
Last but not least, ongoing electioneering has led to divisive campaigns, which have exacerbated divisions in our multilingual and multireligious nation. The solution to this problem would be One Nation, One Election.
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Why is there opposition towards One Nation, One Election?
While putting One Nation, One Election into practice has many advantages, there are also disadvantages to the concept.
There are others who contend that if elections were held for both the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies, national problems would take precedence over regional and state-specific ones. Furthermore, national political parties would have a significant edge over local ones. According to a 2015 study by the IDFC Institute, in the event of simultaneous polling, 77% of voters are likely to vote for the same party. But if polls are taken six months apart, only 61% of voters will select the same party.
The issue of needing extra personnel in addition to voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) and electronic voting machines (EVMs) also exists.
A previous statement made by D Raja of the Communist Party of India stated: “One Nation, One Election is not a new issue. It’s been a topic of discussion for a while. One nation, one culture; one nation, one religion; one nation, one language; one nation, one tax; one nation, one election; one nation, one party; and one nation, one leader have all been obsessions of the BJP since it came to power. That’s the fixation the BJP is experiencing.”
Speaking on the Cabinet’s support of the scheme, the TMC also betrayed its contempt for the BJP. “One nation, one election is just another cheap stunt by the anti-democratic BJP,” stated party head Derek O’Brien.
Furthermore, constitutional modifications are necessary to address the One Nation, One Election issue. Articles 83, 85, 172, and 174 of the constitution, which address the duration and dissolution of the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies, will need to be amended in order for this to become a reality. Additionally, a change to Article 356 will be necessary.
