The central government has constituted a panel to investigate the possibility of holding “One Nation One Election” in the country. An announcement about the members of the panel headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind is likely to be made soon. It will take place in connection with the extraordinary session of the parliament convened by the government on 6-10 p.m. The surprise announcement of the session in September sparked speculation that the government plans to introduce a “One Nation, One Election” bill.
The term refers to the simultaneous organization of elections in different regions of the country. According to the proposal, elections to Lok Sabha and all state assemblies will be held simultaneously. In India, parliamentary elections and state assembly elections are held separately when the tenure of the current government ends or it is dissolved for any reason.
The positive ones
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has long supported the idea of One Nation, One Choice. In fact, it was one of the components of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s election manifesto for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Proponents of One Nation One Election often point out that once implemented, it would reduce the overall cost of the electoral process. With so many states, elections are always held in some part of the country or the other, leading to excessive expenditure on both the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the contestants.
Another argument in favor of One Nation One Election is that it leads to more effective governance. During elections, the entire state machinery is focused on conducting a free and fair election process, which affects day-to-day affairs because civil servants are involved in poll taxes. Simultaneous elections are likely to increase voter turnout by making it convenient for voters to vote at the same time.
The One Nation, One Election concept assumes continuity and continuity in the policies and programs of the central and state governments. During the Lok Sabha polls, after implementing the code of conduct, no state can initiate new projects or schemes until the polls are over. Challenges
The biggest challenge on the road to “One Nation Elections” is synchronizing the terms of the various state parliaments with the terms of the Lok Sabha. Nor is it clear how to act in situations such as mid-term elections or presidential administrations when a party does not win a majority. Regional parties argue that holding two elections at the same time would weaken their prospects because they would not be able to highlight local issues. In addition, they fear that they will not be able to compete with the national parties in terms of money and electoral strategies.
