One Nation, One Election: All You Need To Know About It

By Editor Team

Why is One Nation, One Election in the News?

One Nation, One Election refers to the process of having simultaneous elections for both State Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha along with local urban and rural bodies. It has been in the news from time to time ever since Narendra Modi was elected as the Prime Minister in the 16th Lok Sabha Election held in 2014. On Tuesday, the Home Minister, Amit Shah, said the NDA government led by the BJP will implement one nation, one Election in the current tenure, reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to simultaneous Election on which he laid emphasis during the Independence Day speech last month.

On August 30, 2018, the Law Commission released its draft report on Simultaneous Elections examining the legal and constitutional feasibility of simultaneous elections. It observed that simultaneous elections could not be held within the existing Constitutional framework and instead argued for appropriate amendments to the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act 1951, and the Rules of Procedure of Lok Sabha and state Assemblies that can enable the conduct of concomitant elections.

Later, on September 2, 2023, an 8-member high-level committee (HLC) under the Chairmanship of the former President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, was formed to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections of Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, Municipalities and Panchayats, in such a way that they are in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution of India and would require bare minimum amendments to the Constitution. The Committee submitted its recommendations on March 14, 2024, to President Hon’ble President of India, Shrimati Droupadi Murmu, after 191 days of intensive research and all-inclusive deliberations with various stakeholders.

The Committee observes that the country now witnesses five to six rounds of elections every year, including the municipalities and panchayat elections. The Committee, therefore,  recommends a two-step approach for synchronous elections where the first step involves conducting simultaneous elections for the House of the People and the State Legislative Assemblies, and the second step involves conducting elections to the Municipalities and the Panchayats within the next hundred days. The Committee also argues for a single electoral roll to be in place for use in elections to all three tiers of Government.

What are the implementation challenges?

Constitutionally, India upholds a Parliamentary form of governance where the Government is responsible to the Lower House of the Parliament. Therefore, in case the Government falls before completing its tenure, there has to be an election. In that case, the fate of the State Legislative assemblies needs to be seen.

The logistics requirements need to be arranged for as the need for Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) will double along with additional requirements of the polling staff and security forces for facilitating better security arrangements if the proposal is implemented.

The general trend has been that while general elections are fought on broader national issues, the local body elections are more focused on the local needs and demands of the people. It is feared that contrary to India’s federal structure, which balances this local and national need, simultaneous elections are expected to be fought on broader issues that cater to the demand of the nation and in the process, the local issues are relegated to the backseat. Hence, critics fear the undermining of India’s federal principles in case One Nation, One Election is implemented.

How can One Nation, One Election benefit the nation?

The PM, a vociferous campaigner for One Nation, One Election, in his last month’s address from the ramparts of the Red Fort, outlined the importance of embracing simultaneous Election as frequent polls disrupt governance and reform works undertaken by any Government regardless of party affiliation.

One Nation, One Election can bring down the massive expenditure on conducting frequent polls as resources allocated for poll expenses can be effectively utilised. Consultations with apex business organisations like the CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM and eminent economists by the Committee on the economic outcome of asynchronous elections, which is currently in place, has revealed certain critical insights. They highlighted how the prevailing election system fuels inflation and slows down economic growth, besides upsetting social harmony.

Additionally, the burden on administrative staff and security forces can also be lessened as simultaneous elections will prevent the deployment of security forces and electoral officers from their primary duties for election-related works for significantly prolonged periods.

Besides, disruption in developmental work on account of the prolonged application of the Model Code of Conduct is another concern that supporters of synchronous Election put forward in order to back their position. In fact, the PM’s argument of frequent polls disrupting the nation’s progress stems from this. It affects the timely implementation of Government policies along with maintaining the stability and continuity of those policies.

Another significant outcome of concomitant Election can be prioritising long-term gains over short-term electoral advantages that often mar politicians’ will to make decisions that might take a long time to materialise their goals and establish themselves as fruitful. Moreover, experts opine that simultaneous elections can increase voter turnout as lengthy and frequent election processes result in fatigue among voters and discourage their participation.

Why is the BJP-led Central Government rooting for One Nation, One Election?

While some see this as one of the bold, transformative policies of the BJP-led Central Government, which echoes the historical decision to implement the Citizen Amendment Act and abrogation of Article 370, among others, others see this as part of the Central Government’s centralising tendencies that are manifest in Government’s other significant measures and decisions like the Uniform Civil Code; One Nation, One Ration Card; One Nation, One Education; One Nation, One Market.

The Government time and again claims that simultaneous polls will allow it to focus on development work and policy implementation which gets frequently disturbed by electioneering campaigns that take up the attention of politicians due to recurrent elections.

Is there any precedent of One Nation, One Election?

If implemented, India will not have a concurrent election for the first time in its history; rather, it will be the repetition of history itself. In fact, India held simultaneous elections for the state legislative assemblies and the Lok Sabha when it conducted general elections for the first time as an independent nation in 1951-52 and continued the practice till 1967, after which the cycle broke.

Which are the other countries that follow this method?

Belgium, Sweden, South Africa, and Indonesia are the four other countries that are known for conducting simultaneous polls. Sweden, which is a parliamentary democracy, holds County Council and Municipal Council elections simultaneously with Parliament (Riksdag) elections every four years. Belgium holds federal and regional elections every five years in concurrence with European elections.

South Africa holds simultaneous elections for the National Assembly and Provincial Legislatures in a five-year cycle. However, municipal elections are held separately from provincial ones.

Indonesia, one of the most recent countries to enter the list, is conducting concurrent elections for electing President, Vice President, and members of both national and regional legislative bodies from 2019.

Why is the Opposition against it?

Not everyone seems happy with the idea as evident from the Opposition’s displeasure. While Congress MP Rahul Gandhi slammed the decision when the Committee first came up and termed it “an attack on the Union and all its States“, critics have sensed the ruling Government’s ulterior motive in it. This measure is seen as one of the biggest centralising decisions as it can significantly alter the powers of the State Election Commissions and dictate the State Government’s power to regulate the elections of local bodies.

They were of the opinion that the BJP, which has been enjoying a majority till the result of the 2024 General Elections, are firm on the implementation of One Nation, One Election as they hope to witness similar voting patterns for all levels if simultaneous elections are conducted. With BJP losing absolute majority and the reemergence of coalition government in the Centre, this fear has been allayed to a major extent.

Others have pointed out how simultaneous elections can have a deteriorating impact on accountability as there will be no scope for reconsideration of people’s mandate after the election cycle is over. As voters have to wait for the next election cycle to express their anti-incumbency or a genuine change of opinion based on performance, they will be at the mercy of the politicians who might neglect them once the election season is over.

FAQ

Why is One Nation, One Election in the News?

One Nation, One Election refers to the process of having simultaneous elections for both State Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha along with local urban and rural bodies. On Tuesday, the Union Home Minister said the NDA government led by the BJP will implement one nation, one Election in the current tenure, reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to simultaneous Election on which he laid emphasis during the Independence Day speech last month.

The Committee recommends a two-step approach for synchronous elections where the first step involves conducting simultaneous elections for the House of the People and the State Legislative Assemblies, and the second step involves conducting elections to the Municipalities and the Panchayats within the next hundred days. The Committee also argues for a single electoral roll to be in place for use in elections to all three tiers of Government.

What are the implementation challenges?

Constitutionally, India upholds a Parliamentary form of governance where the Government is responsible to the Lower House of the Parliament. Therefore, in case the Government falls before completing its tenure, there has to be an election. In that case, the fate of the State Legislative assemblies needs to be seen. The requirements for Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) will double along with additional requirements of the polling staff and security forces for facilitating better security arrangements.

Is there any precedent of One Nation, One Election?

India held simultaneous elections for the state legislative assemblies and the Lok Sabha when it conducted general elections for the first time as an independent nation in 1951-52 and continued the practice till 1967, after which the cycle broke.

How can One Nation, One Election benefit the nation?

Simultaneous Election can bring down the massive expenditure on conducting frequent polls as resources allocated for poll expenses can be effectively utilised. Additionally, the burden on administrative staff and security forces can also be lessened.

Which are the other countries that follow this method?

Belgium, Sweden, South Africa, and Indonesia are the four other countries that are known for conducting simultaneous polls.

Why is the Opposition against it?

Simultaneous elections can have a deteriorating impact on accountability as there will be no scope for reconsideration of people’s mandate after the election cycle is over. As voters have to wait for the next election cycle to express their anti-incumbency or a genuine change of opinion based on performance, they will be at the mercy of the politicians who might neglect them once the election season is over.

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Saturday, Feb 15, 2025