Q. In recent years, there has been widespread discussion over idea of “One nation, one election”. What are the advantages and concerns associated with its implementation?
Ans:
The idea of “One Nation, One Election” or simultaneous elections envisages a system where elections to all states and the Lok Sabha will have to be held simultaneously. This will involve the restructuring of the Indian election cycle in a manner that elections to the states and the centre synchronise. This would mean that the voters will cast their vote for electing members of the LS and the state assemblies on a single day, at the same time (or in a phased manner as the case may be).
simultaneous elections were the norm until 1967. But following dissolution of some Legislative Assemblies in 1968 and 1969 and that of Lok Sabha in 1970, elections to State Assemblies and Parliament have been held separately.
Later, SE idea was proposed by Election Commission in 1983. It was also referred by Law Commission and NITI Aayog
Advantages of One nation, one election:
- Policy paralysis: Frequent elections lead to imposition of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) over prolonged periods of time which often leads to policy paralysis and governance deficit in the form of suspended development programs, welfare schemes, capital projects etc.
- Huge expenditures: By various stakeholders like political parties, individual candidates, etc. The urge to spend more (than the set limit) to win elections is blamed as one of the key drivers for corruption and black-money in the country.
- Engagement of security forces: Deployment of security forces is normally throughout the elections and frequent elections takes away a portion of such armed police force which could otherwise be better deployed for other internal security purposes.
- Disrupting public life: Frequent elections lead to disruption of normal public life and impact the functioning of essential services. If SE are held, this period of disruption would be limited to a certain predetermined period of time.
- Impact on social fabric: Frequent elections perpetuate caste, religion and communal issues across the country as elections are polarizing events which have accentuated casteism, communalism and corruption.
- Focus on populist measures: Frequent elections will impact the focus of governance and policy making as it forces the political class to typically think in terms of immediate electoral gains rather than focus on long-term programmes and policies.
- Impact on voter turnout: According to law commission report simultaneous polls will boost voter turnout.
concerns associated with One nation, one election:
- Operational feasibility such as how to synchronize cycle for the first time, what will be the procedure in case ruling party/coalition loses majority before 5 years, feasibility for the Election Commission to conduct elections at such a massive scale etc.
- Constitutional issues: Holding SE will require certain requirements such as Curtailment and extension of terms of the House of the People/ State Legislative Assemblies, Amendment to the relevant provisions of the Constitution, Amendment to the Representation of People Act, 1951, ratification by the States to these Constitutional amendments.
- National and state issues are different, and holding simultaneous elections may affect the judgment of voters and and he/she may vote for the same political party, which in most cases may be larger national parties.
- Reduce government’s accountability to the people as frequent elections bring the politicians back to the voters and enhance accountability of politicians to the public.
- It can go against federalism as when an election in a State is postponed until the synchronized phase, President’s rule will have to be imposed in the interim period in that state.
- Homogenization of the country, instead of bringing equity, sustaining plurality, and promoting local and regional leadership, as SE may promote national parties.
Analysis of financial implications, effect of MCC and law commission’s recommendations suggest that there is a feasibility to restore SE as it existed during the first two decades of India’s independence.
However, SE cannot be the panacea. The issues related to frequent elections can be addressed by, re-looking at the duration of restrictions under MCC, curbing poll expenditures by electoral funding reforms, bringing political parties under RTI, etc.
