One Nation, One Election

One Nation, One Election

News: Recently, The government has constituted a committee headed by former president of India Ram Nath Kovind to explore the possibility of “one nation, one election”.

What is One Nation, One Election?
• The concept of “one nation, one election” refers to holding elections to Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies simultaneously, once in five years.

Has India ever conducted Simultaneous election?
• Simultaneous elections were held in the country during the first two decades after Independence up to 1967. However, the dissolution of certain Assemblies in 1968 and 1969 followed by the dissolution of the Lok Sabha led to the disruption of the conduct of simultaneous elections.

What are the benefits of Simultaneous Elections?

Decreased Election Expenditure
• Political parties often spend vast sums of money on election campaigns. Simultaneous elections can reduce the financial burden on political parties, leading to a more level playing field for both established and emerging parties.

Improved Governance
• With less time spent on campaigning and electioneering, elected representatives and governments may have more time to focus on their primary role of governance, leading to better overall performance.

Reduction in Vote Bank Politics
• Frequent elections can encourage parties to adopt short-term, populist measures to secure votes. Simultaneous elections may discourage this practice, as parties may focus on long-term developmentoriented policies.

Voter Convenience
• Ensures voters are not subjected to multiple rounds of voting, leading to better turnout and voter convenience.

Cost Efficiency
• Simultaneous elections can significantly reduce the financial burden on the government and political parties. Currently, India conducts elections almost every year, which requires a substantial allocation of resources. Holding all elections at the same time can save money spent on security, logistics, and campaigning.

Time Efficiency
• Frequent elections disrupt governance as politicians and bureaucrats are often busy with election-related work. Simultaneous elections can help in better utilization of time and resources for policy formulation and implementation.

Better Policy Continuity
• With simultaneous elections, there is a possibility of more stable and consistent policymaking, as governments would have longer terms in office. This can facilitate the planning and execution of long-term policies and reforms.

What are the challenges of conducting Simultaneous election in India?

Constitutional Amendments
• Implementing simultaneous elections would require substantial changes to the Indian Constitution, particularly regarding the synchronization of the terms of the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
• Simultaneous elections would require amendments in five articles of the Constitution –Article 83 (relating to the duration of Houses of Parliament), Article 85 (relating to dissolution of the Lok Sabha by the President), Article 172 (relating to the duration of the state legislatures), Article 174 (relating to dissolution of the state legislatures) and Article 356 (relating to the imposition of the President’s Rule in states). This requires constitutional amendments with 50% ratification of states which is challenging for the government.

Impact on Regional Parties
• Regional parties, which play a significant role in Indian politics, may feel disadvantaged in simultaneous elections. National issues could overshadow regional concerns, potentially undermining the federal structure of India's democracy.
• National parties with larger political heft, resources are likely to benefit at the cost of regional parties.

Logistics and Infrastructure
• Holding elections across India, with its vast geographical and demographic diversity, is a logistical challenge. Ensuring the availability of sufficient polling stations, security personnel, electronic voting machines (EVMs), and other resources would be a formidable task.
• For example, there is need for approximately 30 lakh electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voterverified paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines.

Security Concerns
• Coordinating security arrangements for both national and state elections simultaneously would be a complex undertaking, especially in areas prone to security threats.

Voter Education and impact on Democracy
• Simultaneous elections may further complicate voter education, as citizens would need to understand the distinct issues and candidates at both the national and state levels.
• Citizens may struggle to engage and understand with all issues simultaneously, potentially leading to uninformed choices and undermining the democratic process.

What are the recommendations of various committees?
• Election Commission Report in 1983 proposed to bring back simultaneous elections.
• 170th Law Commission in 1999 also advocated simultaneous elections.
• The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, headed by E M Sudarsana Natchiappan in 2015 recommended simultaneous elections.

Conclusion
• Simultaneous Election is an idea whose time has come however as it involves questions pertaining to Federal structure of Polity it needs adequate discussion and consensus need to be built across party lines for swift transition to this system.