Govt greenlights 'One Nation, One Election'; likely to be tabled in winter session

Guwahati, Sept 18: In a major push to fulfil its election promise, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government on Wednesday cleared the much-debated “One Nation, One Election” proposal. This move follows the recommendations of a high-level committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind.

The government aims to advance the initiative in the upcoming winter session of Parliament. Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed that the legislation for the simultaneous elections plan will be introduced soon.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw provided further details, explaining that the elections will be conducted in two phases. Lok Sabha and Assembly elections will be held in the first phase, followed by local body elections, including panchayat and municipal polls, within 100 days in the second phase.

The proposal also calls for a unified electoral roll for all elections and extensive consultations across the nation before implementation. An implementation group will be formed to ensure a smooth transition to simultaneous elections.

The concept of conducting elections together dates back to the first general elections in 1951-52, where Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls were held simultaneously. However, political instability and hung assemblies disrupted this trend by 1967.

Proponents of the proposal argue that staggered elections lead to higher government spending, extended deployment of security forces, and a prolonged Model Code of Conduct, which hampers governance and delays development projects.

The Election Commission of India has consistently supported the idea of simultaneous elections, with repeated endorsements, including a meeting with the 22nd Law Commission in 2022.

Law commissions, such as those in their 107th report in 1999 and the 22nd Law Commission's 2018 report, have also advocated for the restoration of simultaneous elections.

Critics, however, argue that simultaneous elections could undermine democratic diversity, overshadow local issues with national concerns, and require significant constitutional amendments.

These amendments would need a two-thirds majority in Parliament and approval by at least half of the states. Changes to critical articles, including 83, 85(2)(B), 174(2)(B), 356, and 75(3), along with updates to the Representation of People's Act, 1951, pose additional hurdles.

Moreover, the logistics of securing enough electronic voting machines (EVMs), polling personnel, and security staff add to the challenges ahead.