One Nation One Election: Redefining India’s Electoral Process

Abraham Lincoln rightly affirmed, “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.”

This quote highlights the transformative power of democracy, where the voice of the people decides the future of a nation. The ballot is not just a tool of governance but a celebration of people’s will.

However, the frequent elections at different levels of government undermine the political and economic stability of the country. The notion of One Nation One Election aims to address all these challenges, envisioning a nation where the elections of Lok Sabha, and legislative assemblies of state and local bodies are held simultaneously. This vision has rekindled the debate about the future of electoral processes in India.

Unveiling the Notion of One Nation One Election

Visualise a nation with synchronised elections where the democratic spirit of the people pours out in full swing without recurring episodes of voting. The idea of the One Nation One election strives towards achieving this objective. This system of simultaneous elections is one of the key promises the Bharatiya Janta Party has made in its manifesto. It has been a prominent topic of discussion and debate since 2014. To streamline this idea, a high-level committee was constituted by the Narendra Modi government in September 2023 which was headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind.

The committee was to examine, analyse, and give recommendations on the issue of organising synchronised elections in the country. Extensive consultations and discussions were held to understand the perspectives of different key players. Over 21,558 responses were received from citizens from all the States and Union Territories of India and around 80% of respondents supported the notion of synchronised elections.

Considerable discussions were held with 47 political parties, law experts, the Election Commission of India, and apex business organisations on the repercussions of simultaneous elections. The committee prepared a report which clearly stated that intermittent elections had detrimental consequences on social harmony and public expenditure along with upsetting economic growth.

A two-step approach was recommended by the committee. The first step suggests the simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and the legislative assemblies of the state and the elections to the panchayats and municipalities to be held within a hundred days of elections to the Lok Sabha and the State legislative assemblies in the second step.

Overview of Early Electoral Cycles

However, this concept of One Nation One Election is not of recent origin. Synchronised elections were held in the initial years following India’s independence. During the first four electoral cycles, elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies were held concurrently in 1951-52, 1957, 1962, and 1967. The elections were desynchronised in 1968 and 1969 when several legislative assemblies were dissolved. The Fourth Lok Sabha was dissolved ahead of schedule in 1970, leading to fresh elections being conducted in 1971.

Efficiency of One Nation One Election

In a vast democratic country like India, subsequent elections pose a significant strain on the economy of the country. According to a report published by the Centre for Media Studies, the cost for the first Lok Sabha elections was Rs. 10.45 crore in 1952 and it skyrocketed to a staggering Rs 6, 500 crore in 2019. This economic strain further escalates due to repeated episodes of elections. The increased operational cost of the Election Commission of India and the huge economic burden of subsequent elections could be addressed by implementing One Nation One Election.

Deployment of security forces and army personnel during recurring events of elections disrupts the functioning of the administration. Government officials and teachers are deployed for the management of polling booths. One Nation One Election could significantly resolve these issues by allowing the officials and security forces to focus on issues of other national priorities.

The General Elections 2024 witnessed a voter turnout of 65.79% at polling stations. This figure may indicate the phenomenon of Voter Fatigue. Migrant workers and people living far from their constituency often find it difficult to take off from their work and travel to their polling stations during frequent elections.

Recurring episodes of elections impel the political parties to focus on short-term goals and strategies to instantly attract voters towards them. Parties contesting elections often ignore long-term goals and sideline broader objectives. They constantly make electoral promises which are extinguished with frequent elections making them less accountable. With synchronised elections, the government can focus more on policy-making and implementation rather than persistent campaigning for various elections at regional and national levels time and again.

Hurdles in the Implementation of One Nation One Election

To turn the plan and idea of one nation one election into reality there is a requirement of the constitutional amendment. The Constitution (129th) Amendment Bill, 2024 main objective includes introducing simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative Assemblies. The bill proposes key amendments to constitutional provisions such as Article 83, Article 172 and also incorporation of a new Article 82A to begin simultaneous elections across the country. It is essential to bring changes to the Representation of People's Act, 1951. Ensuring sufficient EVM availability, polling, and security staff further adds to the complexity.

Frequent elections are of paramount importance in keeping the elected representatives on their toes for they are required to encounter the public regularly. Simultaneous elections will lead to the dilution of the accountability of elected representatives for they will not be answerable to citizens through mid-term elections.

It is pertinent to note that Political Parties have diverse interests and strategies for different levels of government. A synchronised system of elections may keep the smaller parties at a disadvantaged stage as they might not have adequate resources to campaign on all fronts effectively.

Conclusion

The foundation for the One Nation One Election has been laid with extensive consultations and the overwhelming support of the public. Historical precedents, expert advice, and data-driven insights demonstrate the proposal’s numerous advantages, which range from decreasing economic pressure and governance disturbances to rekindling voter’s excitement. While difficulties such as constitutional amendments, resource needs, and competing political interests remain, they are not insurmountable in a country that has already supported big reforms.

One Nation and One Election requires statesmanship and not political partisanship. The cabinet is required to show statesmanship in implementing it. Instead of expecting only the states to take a hit, the cabinet should dissolve the current Lok Sabha in the year 2028, a year before its expected completion. This automatically means that the tenure of 10 State legislatures would not have to be significantly shortened, since they too in the normal course vote in the year 2028. With parliament making the first sacrifice, the remaining states would lose the moral high ground to claim the proposal discriminates against them. This probably can turn the notion of a One Nation One Election into reality.

One Nation One Election offers a fertile ground for a stable and economically viable electoral process. It is significant to strike a balance between preserving the federal character of India and embracing reforms for the collective good of the citizens. Undoubtedly, synchronised election opens the door to re-imagine elections as an occasion of national celebration where every citizen feels included.

References

[1] One Nation, One Election, Available Here

[2] One Nation One Election: Amit Shah, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in 8-member Kovind panel, Available Here

[3] Modi plan to synchronise elections across India sparks backlash, Available Here

[4] High level Committee submits its report on One Nation, One Election, Available Here

[5] Election Commission of India, Available Here

[6] One Nation One Election bill explained: Special majority, state ratification, Available Here

[7] One nation, One election is our commitment: PM Modi, Available Here