The One Nation One Election (simultaneous elections) bill aims to hold all the elections( Lok Sabha, State Elections, and Panchayat, that is, the local body) all at once. In this way, voters will be able to cast their votes for both the elections (Lok Sabha and state assembly) on the same day.
There will be two phases for this initiative. First phase: Lok Sabha and State elections will be held together. The second phase: the local body elections, which include municipalities and panchayat elections, will be conducted within 100 days of the general elections.
Historical Background
One Nation, one election used to happen in India until 1967. Simultaneous elections were conducted for the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies in 1952, 1957, 1962, and 1967.
However, disruption of the simultaneous election cycle, due to premature dissolution of some Legislative Assemblies in 1968 and 1969, took place. Further, the Lok Sabha in 1970 was dissolved prematurely, and fresh elections were held in 1971.
All these events led to the disruption of the cycle of simultaneous elections in India.
Why in the news?
The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, were introduced to give effect to “One Nation One Election”, referred to by the Joint Parliamentary Committee in the month of January.
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Need for Simultaneous Elections:
- Financial Burden: Simultaneous elections could significantly pare down the financial costs associated with multiple election cycles. This model will cut down the expenditure on deployment of resources like manpower, equipment, and security for every election.
- Economic Impact: Asynchronous elections cause uncertainty and instability and disturb supply chains, business investments, and economic growth.
- Disruption to Governance and policy paralysis: Frequent imposition of the Model Code of Conduct slows down the pace of the developmental programmes.
- Voter Participation Challenges: Frequent elections induce ‘voters’ fatigue’ and pose a significant challenge in ensuring their participation.
- Operational Efficiency and Resource Optimization: It would reduce the number of election-related offences and disputes and lessen the burden on courts.
Issues Involved in Simultaneous Election
- Constitutional Challenges: Misuse of presidents rule to maintain synchronization.
- Logistical Challenges: India’s vast electorate requires over one million polling booths as well as significant security resources.
- Conducting simultaneous elections could strain administrative capacity.
- Concerns Regarding Federalism: Constitutional Amendments concerning the term of the state legislative assemblies under Article 172 can be there without ratification by states.
- Thus reducing the opinion and say of the States.
- Impact on Voter Behavior: Simultaneous elections can “nationalise” local issues, with voters prioritizing national parties over regional parties, weakening the voice of smaller parties.
- Legal and Parliamentary Requirements: Amendments to multiple constitutional provisions (Articles 83, 172, etc) and changes to the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
- Political accountability: Frequent elections hold lawmakers accountable, while fixed terms may provide unwarranted stability without performance scrutiny challenging democratic principals.
Steps for effective implementation of simultaneous elections
- Pilot ONOE in Union Territories: Start implementing simultaneous elections reforms in Union Territories (UTs) as a proof of concept.
- UTs like Delhi, Puducherry, and Chandigarh have smaller electorates and simpler governance structures, making them ideal for pilots.
- Flexible Election Cycles Based on Regional Readiness: After syncing Union Territories, region-specific election synchronization should be done rather than enforcing nationwide uniformity.
- Regional state grouping (e.g., North, South, East, West) to synchronize elections within those zones over 5-10 years.
- Creation of Digital Electoral Management System: Develop a comprehensive digital platform to manage ONOE’s complex logistics.
- It will minimize administrative delays and ensure robust election management.
- Strengthening Federal Safeguards for Regional Representation: Ensure mechanisms are in place to prevent the overshadowing of state-level issues.
- Mandatory regional debates or televised state-specific forums during elections will give visibility to local issues.
- As a result, this will protect the democratic diversity crucial to India’s federal structure.
- Use of Artificial Intelligence for Election Resource Allocation: AI can help allocate election resources like personnel, EVMs, etc(region-specific needs).
- Decentralized Election Monitoring Cells: Setting up of regional election monitoring cells can oversee the simultaneous electoral process in a decentralized manner.
- Contingency Election Fund: Creation of a contingency fund solely for managing unexpected election expenses due to government collapse.
Conclusion
The proposal can ensure a transformative shift in India’s electoral landscape, consequently bringing greater efficiency, reduced costs, and streamlined governance. The implementation of ONOE will require careful planning, legislative amendments, and the ability to balance federal autonomy. Global precedents and a phased approach can make India address these challenges, ensuring that the reforms eventually will lead to a more cohesive and functional electoral system.