Explore the One Nation One Election proposal in India. Discover the advantages and drawbacks as well as the road ahead for synchronized elections.
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The History of One Nation One Election in India
Advantages of One Nation One Election
India is the largest democracy in the world with more than 900 million that is 90 crore eligible voters as of 2019. The country has a parliamentary form of government, where the people elect their representatives to the Lok Sabha -the lower house of the Parliament as well the state legislative assemblies. The Lok Sabha and the state assemblies have a fixed term of five years unless dissolved earlier.
However there is a one peculiarity in India about the elections that they are not held simultaneously for the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies. This means that elections are held at different times in different states, depending on when their assemblies complete their term or are dissolved. This also means that the country is in a constant state of election mode therefore in the news are frequent campaigns, rallies, and polls.
One Nation One Election is a proposal to hold simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and all state legislative assemblies. This automatically means that all elections would either be held in a single day or over a short period of time. This would also mean that the term of the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies would be synchronized and aligned.
One Nation One Election has been advocated by many experts and politicians as well as institutions as a way to reform the Indian electoral system and improve governance. However One Nation One Election also faces many legal, political and also administrative challenges and criticisms.
In this article lets have a look at the history and the arguments for and against One Nation One Election in India. We will also look at some interesting facts about the Indian election process and the rules as well as incidents.
History of One Nation One Election in India
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The idea of One Nation One Election is not new in India. In fact, it was the original practice in independent India. The first general elections in India were held in 1951 – 52 period and they were held simultaneously with elections to the state assemblies. This system of simultaneous elections continued until 1967.
However, things changed in 1968, when the Congress government dissolved several state assemblies using Article 356 of the Constitution, which allowed the central government to dismiss state governments on grounds of failure of constitutional machinery. This led to the disruption of simultaneous elections, as different states went to polls at different times.
Since then, there have been several attempts to revive One Nation One Election in India. In 1983, the Election Commission proposed holding simultaneous elections for both Houses of Parliament and state assemblies. In 1999, the Law Commission recommended holding simultaneous elections as a way to ensure stability and accountability of governments. In 2015, the Parliamentary Standing Committee endorsed One Nation One Election as a means to save money and time.
The committee
In 2020, Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that he would form a committee to study the feasibility of One Nation One Election. To explore the possibility of One Nation One Election, the Government of India has recently constituted an eight-member committee under the chairmanship of former President Ram Nath Kovind. The committee includes Honourable Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress MP Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, former Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, Shri NK Singh Former Chairman 15th Finance Commission, Dr. Subhash Kashyap Former Secratary General Lok Sabha, Shri Harish Salve -Senior Advocate and Shri Sanjay Kothari Former Chief Vigilance Commission representating various fields.
Advantages of One Nation One Election
Arguments for One Nation One Election
One Nation One Election has many supporters who claim that it would have various benefits for India. Some of these benefits are:
Saving money: Holding elections in India is a costly affair. It involves deploying a huge number of security personnel, polling staff, electronic voting machines (EVMs), voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines etc. across the country. It also involves spending a lot of money on campaigns, advertisements, rallies etc. By holding simultaneous elections the government of India could save billions of rupees that could otherwise be used for development and welfare schemes.
Costs
According to a report by NITI Aayog National Institution for Transforming India, a policy think tank of the Government of India, simultaneous elections could save up to Rs 4,500 crore that is about $600 million per election cycle.
Reducing Electoral-Violence
Reducing violence: Elections in India are often marred by violence and clashes between rival parties and supporters. This can lead to loss of lives and property and disruption of law and order a major cause of concern for citizens. By holding simultaneous elections the government could reduce the chances of violence by minimizing as well as limiting the frequency and duration of electioneering activities. According to a report by Association for Democratic Reforms -ADR, a non governmental organization working on electoral reforms, there were 187 deaths reported and 1,311 injuries due to poll violence during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Boosting Voter% -Turnout
Increasing turnout: Elections in India suffer from low voter turnout due to various reasons such as voter fatigue, apathy, lack of awareness etc. When elections are held separately for different levels of government voters may not at all be interested or motivated to the vote multiple times for different candidates and parties. By holding simultaneous elections the government could probably increase voter turnout by creating more awareness and interest among voters and reducing the inconvenience and confusion of voting multiple times. According to a report by PRS Legislative Research -a non-profit research organization that tracks parliamentary activities, voter turnout was higher by 5-6 percentage points when Lok Sabha and state assembly elections were held simultaneously compared to when they were held separately.
Increased Focus on Governance
Improving governance: Elections in India also affect governance and policy-making in various ways. When elections are held frequently the government may be distracted by electioneering activities and may not be able to focus on development and welfare schemes. There is a chance that the incumbent government may also be influenced by populist measures and short term policies to woo voters. The government may also face frequent disruptions due to the imposition of model code of conduct (a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission to ensure free and fair elections), frequent transfers of officials, frequent changes in governments due to no-confidence motions or defections etc. By holding simultaneous elections the government could improve governance by reducing the frequency of disruptions ensuring stability and continuity of governments and allowing more time and focus for development and welfare schemes.
Challenges as well as Constructive Criticism
Arguments against One Nation One Election
One Nation One Election also has many critics who argue that it would have various drawbacks for India. Some of these drawbacks are:
Constitutional Amendments
Requiring constitutional amendments: To implement One Nation One Election, the government would need to amend several provisions of the Constitution, such as Articles 83, 85, 172, 174, 356 etc. These provisions fix the term of the Lok Sabha and state assemblies at five years, allow the dissolution of the Houses before their term ends, and prescribe the conditions for imposing President’s rule in states. These amendments would required to be passed with two thirds majority in both the Houses of Parliament the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha a ratification by at least half of the states. This may not be easy to achieve, as different parties and states may have different views and interests on One Nation One Election.
Impact on Federalism
India is a diverse and federal country, where different states have different issues, priorities, and preferences. Some are of the opinion that by holding simultaneous elections the government would ignore the diversity and federalism of the country and impose a uniform and centralized agenda. This could lead to the domination of national parties over regional parties the loss of regional identity and autonomy, and the neglect of state-specific issues and demands. There is a general belief that the One Nation One Election process could also affect the quality of democracy in India as voters may not be able to choose their representatives based on their local needs and aspirations.
Accountability and Representation
When elections are held separately for different levels of government, voters can evaluate the performance of each government independently and hold them accountable accordingly. Voters can also choose in between different candidates and parties for different levels of government based on their merits or demerits. By holding simultaneous elections, voters would be influenced by national issues and trends and may not be able to judge the performance of state governments fairly. Voters may also vote for the same party or coalition at both levels without considering their merits or demerits. This could affect the quality and diversity of representation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies as the voters may not get a chance to elect their representatives based on their local needs and aspirations as general perception.
Logistical Challenges
Holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies would be a massive logistical challenge for the Election Commission, as it would require deploying a huge number of security personnel, polling staff, electronic voting machines (EVMs), voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines etc. across the country. It would also pose a security risk, as any disruption or violence in one state could affect the entire election process. Moreover, it would be difficult to ensure that all states are ready for simultaneous elections, as some states may have premature dissolution of assemblies due to various reasons.
The Voters Viewpoint
One Nation One Election would have both merits and demerits for the ultimate voter in India. Some of them are:
Merits: The voter would be able to save time and energy by voting only once for both levels of government. The voter would also be able to participate in a more efficient and peaceful election process with less violence and disruption saving time and trouble. The voter would also be able to benefit from better governance and policy making by electing stable and accountable governments at both levels.
Demerits: The voter would be unable to express his or her preferences for different levels of government based on different issues and criteria. The voter would also be unable to hold each government accountable separately for their performance and promises. The voter would also be unable to elect representatives who reflect his or her local needs and aspirations.
Interesting facts about Indian election process and various rules as well as incidents
Here are some interesting facts about the Indian election process its rules and incidents that you may not know :
India is the largest democracy in the world, with over 900 million eligible voters as of 2019. The first general elections in India were held in 1951-52, with 173 million voters.
India uses EVMs for voting since 1998. EVMs are battery-operated devices that record votes electronically and can store up to 2,000 votes per machine. EVMs are also equipped with VVPAT machines since 2013. VVPAT machines generate a paper slip that shows the symbol of the party or candidate that the voter has voted for.
India has a unique rule called NOTA (None Of The Above), which allows voters to reject all candidates in their constituency if they are not satisfied with any of them. NOTA was introduced in 2013 by the Supreme Court as a form of negative voting. However NOTA has no electoral value as even if it gets the highest number of votes the candidate with the next highest number of votes is declared the winner.
India has witnessed some remarkable election incidents over the years. For example, in 2004, Shyam Saran Negi became the first voter of independent India when he cast his vote in Kalpa village in Himachal Pradesh. He was also the first person to use an EVM in India in 2017. Another example is that of Guru Bharat Das, who lives in a forest near Gir National Park in Gujarat. He is the only voter in his polling booth since 2007. He has to travel 20 km to cast his vote.
Another example is that of the world’s smallest polling station in Banej village in Gujarat, which has only one voter, Bharatdas Darshandas, a priest at a Shiva temple. He has been voting since 2004 and is provided with all the facilities by the Election Commission. Yet another example is that of the world’s highest polling station in Tashigang village in Himachal Pradesh, which is located at an altitude of 15,256 feet. It has 49 voters and was set up in 2019.
Conclusion :
One Nation One Election is a proposal that has both merits and demerits. It could surely save money, time and effort while reducing violence, increased turnout, and improving governance. However it could also require constitutional amendments and undermine federalism and diversity, reduce accountability and representation, and be logistically challenging and risky.
Therefore even before implementing One Nation One Election the government should consult all stakeholders including political parties, state governments, constitutional experts, civil society groups, as well as voters. The government should also address the legal as well as political and administrative challenges that may arise from One Nation One Election. The government should also ensure that One Nation One Election does not compromise the quality and integrity of the Indian democracy.
According to the Election Commission of India, as of May 2023, there are 6 national parties, 54 state parties, and 2,597 unrecognised parties in India. ¹
Indian Political Parties
The six national parties are :
- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
- Indian National Congress (INC)
- Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM)
- Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
- Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
- National People’s Party (NPP)
A national party is one that fulfils any one of the following criteria:
It wins 2% of seats in the Lok Sabha from at least three different states.
It polls 6% of votes in any four or more states and wins four Lok Sabha seats.
It gets recognition as a state party in four states.
A state party is one that fulfils any one of the following criteria:
It wins 3% of the total seats or 3 seats in the Legislative Assembly.
It wins 1 seat in the Lok Sabha for every 25 seats or any fraction thereof allotted to that state.
It polls 6% of the total valid votes in a state and wins one Lok Sabha seat or two Legislative Assembly seats.
It polls 8% of the total valid votes in a state.
An unrecognised party is one that does not fulfil any of the above criteria.
Source:
You can find the complete list of all the political parties in India here:
https://eci.gov.in/files/category/150-list-of-political-parties-year-2019-22/ ¹:
(1) How many National Political Parties are there in India? BYJU’S https://byjus.com/ias-questions/how-many-national-political-parties-are-there-in-india/.
(2) Bing : https://bing.com/search?q=number+of+political+parties+in+India.
(3) List of political parties in India – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_India
(4) National Parties in India: List of All the Political Parties 2023. https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/list-of-all-the-political-parties-in-india-1476786411-1
(5) Political Parties in India – ClearIAS. https://www.clearias.com/political-parties-in-india/.
References :
Click to access Note%20on%20Simultaneous%20Elections.pdf
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