One Nation One Election

= Introduction =

India is one of the biggest democracies in the world with over 96.88 crore eligible voters. The nation holds elections at different levels. At the centre, elections are conducted for the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha; at the state level, elections are conducted for state legislative assemblies and councils; and local authorities.

The Election Commission of India is a constitutional body which is empowered to conduct free and fair elections in the country. ECI supervise, and issues directions regarding the proper functioning of the electoral system at all levels. It controls the election-related issues between political parties, prepares the electoral roll for the elections and keeps a check on the finances used in the elections by various parties. The ECI has proved its credibility in making the electoral process free and fair at the same time upholding the integrity of the electoral system in India.

Except when the legislature is dissolved early, Lok Sabha elections have taken place in 5 years from the very first general election in 1951–1952. In the previous Lok Sabha election in 2019 the vote percentage were around 67% which demonstrate the vibrancy of the Indian democracy. However, the state legislature elections are frequently held out of sync with 5 year cycle, which leads to numerous elections. Since state elections are held at different times, there is an impression that some parts of India are always in election mode. The system of multiface election results in major expenses and interruptions to administration. For instance, the current 2024 Lok Sabha election were held in seven phase between April 19 to June 1 and state elections also typically take place in one to five parts.

Several high-powered commissions have looked into electoral changes, such as the ability to remove legislators, public financing of elections, and the transition from the first-past-the-post to equitable representation. The concept of One Nation One Election which seeks to align state and national election is the most discussed electoral reform. This seeks to simplify India's election process, lessen the financial and administrative strain of holding repeated elections, and possibly increase the effectiveness of governance. On the other hand, the concept of ONOE also calls into question how it would affect India's federal system, democratic culture, and political parties' ability to operate.

“One Nation One Election”: Meaning

The concept of organizing and scheduling the dates of elections simultaneously throughout the nation of India has been the subject of intense discussion in recent years. Described as "One Nation One Election," this idea aims to arrange the electoral calendar in such a way that Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha, and municipal elections take place concurrently or coincide in a prearranged cycle.

The electoral reform's supporters contend that it will save a substantial amount of money, enhance government effectiveness, lessen pressure on political parties, restrain populist policies, and foster a more cogent perspective on national issues. Governments can concentrate on long-term governance rather than short-term electoral issues by staying out of the election mode. The current state and federal governments are always running campaigns, which makes governance difficult.

The idea of holding elections simultaneously has received approval from the Election Commission of India . They draw attention to the fact that the ECI faces a significant operational and logistical strain due to the numerous times it must mobilize security troops, personnel, and equipment. Furthermore, governance and policy execution are disrupted when the "Model Code of Conduct " is enforced for extended periods as a result of spaced state elections.

Feasibility of One Nation One Election

The idea of "One Nation One Election" has been the subject of increasing debate in recent times, raising several doubts regarding its viability and implementation. Some of the difficulties that "One Nation One Election" presents have been attempted to be addressed by a high-powered commission led by former President Ram Nath Kovind.

The panel recommended that the first round of State Assembly elections and Lok Sabha must be held concurrently while the local body election would be held within 100 days of these elections. The report of the committee pointed out some challenges and provided a solution for the same. These challenges are:

First challenge: How can all three types of elections—municipal, assembly, and Lok Sabha—be held simultaneously?

The committee suggested holding the initial phase's elections for the State Legislatures and the Lok Sabha simultaneously. Additionally, in the subsequent phase, elections for local government might take place up to 100 days after elections for the State Legislature and Lok Sabha.

Second challenge: Constitutionality of the One Nation One Election

There were a lot of questions on the constitutionality of the concept but the report suggests that there was sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the framers of the Constitution only intended for the Lok Sabha and the state legislatures to hold elections at the same time. Under this Constitution, the initial four state assembly and Lok Sabha polls were conducted nearly concurrently. Not until 1967 were midterm elections essentially mandated as a result of widespread defections and repeated overthrows of governments.

Third Challenge: Hung assemblies might still occur during concurrent elections; what would happen if a government fell in the term?

To solve this problem, the Committee suggested that in the case of a hung house, no-confidence vote, or any other circumstance when the overthrow of a government is likely, another election might be conducted to form the new House. If the "House of the People " is reelected, it will only serve for the remaining portion of the immediately preceding full term , after which the House will dissolve.

Fourth Challenge: The fundamental framework of the Constitution is violated by changing the duration of the assembly.

It is argued that changing the set duration of the State legislatures and Parliament would go against the basic principles of the Constitution. The framers of the Constitution meticulously wrote Articles 83 and 172 which state that the duration will be 5 years and not more than that which signifies that the maker did not set the duration at 5 years or make it a minimum of 5 years.

Fifth Challenge: Personnel and logistics-related challenges, including electronic voting machines and VVPATs

The Committee suggested that the Election Commissioners of India develop a strategy for setting up the necessary infrastructure to hold concurrent elections for state assemblies and Lok Sabha. The commission can budget ahead of time for the purchase of machinery, such as VVPATs and electronic voting machines, the deployment of poll workers and security guards, and other required procedures. Regarding local government elections, a similar suggestion was made to the State commissions.

Conclusion

One Nation One Election provides an important prospective change to the Indian voting system. It has advantages in terms of economy, stability of government, and productivity, but it also comes with difficult problems in terms of participation, technology, and federalism. Strong constitutional modifications, political agreement, and the capacity to efficiently handle issues are necessary for One Nation One Election to succeed.

India's electoral environment might be significantly altered by the One Nation One Election, but its implementation would need careful planning, ongoing assessment, and a steadfast dedication to preserving democratic ideals and participation in the greatest democracy in the entire globe. To maintain the core of democracy, the future course must strike a balance between the benefits of harmonization and the safeguarding of India's

many voices and cultural identities.