Centre explains key reasons behind One Nation, One Election: 'Transformative shift in India'

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The Centre on Tuesday released a detailed note on "One Nation, One Election" ahead of the Bill's introduction in the Lok Sabha, explaining the historical context, the rationale behind the concept and the recommendations of the high-level committee led by former president Ram Nath Kovind.

In the note, the Ministry of Law and Justice said that India has seen over 400 elections to the Lok Sabha and state assembly since Independence in 1947. "However, the fragmented and frequent nature of elections has sparked discussions on the need for a more efficient system. This has led to the resurgence of interest in the concept of 'One Nation, One Election'," it said.

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It said the concept of simultaneous elections, also known as 'One Nation, One Election,' proposes aligning the election cycles of the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, allowing voters to cast ballots for both tiers of government on the same day.

It explained that the elections could still occur in phases across the country, but the central idea is to reduce the logistical challenges, cost and disruptions caused by frequent elections.

The ministry said that a report by the Kovind-led High-Level Committee on simultaneous elections in India, released earlier this year, provided a comprehensive roadmap for implementing the concept. The Union Cabinet has accepted the committee’s recommendations.

'Not a new concept'

The ministry said that simultaneous elections is not a new concept in India, where elections for Lok Sabha and state assemblies were held together from 1951 to 1967.

“ ... this cycle of synchronised elections was disrupted in 1968 and 1969 due to the premature dissolution of some state legislative assemblies. The Fourth Lok Sabha was also dissolved prematurely in 1970, with fresh elections held in 1971,” it said.

Timelines of key milestones of various Lok Sabha (Source: Law ministry)

It added that state assemblies faced similar disruptions over the years, which further disrupted the cycle of simultaneous polls.

Takeaways from Kovind panel report

The ministry said that the Kovind-led panel, which was formed in 2023, held extensive consultations from various experts to determine the feasibility of the exercise of synchronised polls.

It listed the following takeaways from the report:

1. Public Response: The Committee received over 21,500 responses, with 80% in favour of simultaneous elections. The responses came from all corners of the country, including Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar, Nagaland, Dadra, and Nagar Haveli. The highest responses were received from Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh.

2. Responses from Political Parties: 47 political parties submitted their views. Of these, 32 parties supported simultaneous elections, citing benefits like resource optimization and social harmony. 15 parties raised concerns about potential anti-democratic effects and marginalization of regional parties.

3. Expert Consultations: The Committee consulted Former Chief Justices of India, Former Election Commissioners, and legal experts. A majority supported the concept of simultaneous elections, emphasizing the waste of resources and socio-economic disruptions caused by frequent elections.

4. Economic Impact: Business organizations like CII, FICCI, and ASSOCHAM supported the proposal, highlighting the positive impact on economic stability by reducing disruptions and costs associated with election cycles.

5. Legal and Constitutional Analysis: The Committee proposed amendments to Articles 82A and 324A of the Indian Constitution to enable simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha, State Assemblies, and local bodies.

6. Phased Approach to Implementation: The Committee recommended implementing simultaneous elections in two phases:

Phase 1: Synchronizing Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies elections.Phase 2: Synchronizing elections for Municipalities and Panchayats with Lok Sabha and State Legislative elections within 100 days.

7. Electoral Roll and EPIC Harmonization: The Committee highlighted inefficiencies in electoral roll preparation by State Election Commissions and recommended creating a Single Electoral Roll and Single EPIC for all three tiers of government. This would reduce duplication and errors, safeguarding voter rights.

8. Public Sentiment on Frequent Elections: Public responses indicated significant concern about the negative impacts of frequent elections, such as voter fatigue and governance disruptions, which are expected to be mitigated by simultaneous elections.

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Rationale behind the concept

The ministry outlined several benefits of conducting simultaneous elections.

"Promoting consistency in governance is a primary objective. Currently, political parties often focus on preparing for elections, leaving little room for development," the report said.

By reducing the frequency of elections, the ministry argued, the focus could shift towards governance and welfare.

Additionally, the model would prevent policy paralysis caused by the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), which disrupts routine administrative activities during election periods. "Holding simultaneous elections would mitigate the prolonged enforcement of the MCC and enable continuous governance," it said.

Moreover, the committee noted that simultaneous elections would reduce the diversion of resources. "With elections conducted simultaneously, the need for frequent deployment of officials would diminish, allowing government institutions to focus more on their primary roles," the ministry explained.

The Law Ministry also assured that the new system would not undermine the relevance of regional parties. "In fact, simultaneous elections encourage a more localized focus, allowing regional parties to highlight their unique concerns," the ministry stated.

The report also stressed that the move could increase political opportunities and make the system more inclusive. "Simultaneous elections would allow a wider range of leaders to emerge, contributing to the democratic process," the ministry added.

It said that it would also significantly reduce the financial costs associated with multiple election cycles. “This model reduces the expenditure related to the deployment of resources like manpower, equipment and security for each individual election.”

‘Transformative shift’

The ministry concluded by saying that the high-level panel has laid the groundwork for a “transformative shift” in India’s electoral process.

It said that synchronised elections will address long-standing challenges associated with frequent polls, such as governance disruptions and resource wastage.

The ministry asserted that the proposed phased approach to implementing simultaneous elections, along with constitutional amendments, could pave the way for a more efficient and stable electoral environment in India.

“With widespread public and political support, the concept of simultaneous elections stands poised to streamline India’s democratic processes and bolster the efficiency of governance,” it said.