The main goal of the "One Nation, One Election" (Simultaneous Election) idea in India is to align all elections, ranging from local (Panchayat) to national levels (Parliament), in order to cut costs, decrease interruptions, and enhance governance efficiency. This concept was introduced in 2014 by Narendra Modi, who was the Chief Minister of Gujarat at the time, in order to minimize misuse of funds and facilitate efficient progress in development projects.
After the approval of the Union Cabinet for ‘One Nation-One Election’, the political heat started all over the country. While the opposition is criticizing that it is not possible, the NDA says that it will be implemented in this term itself. The Union government will have to face some challenges to implement the ‘Simultaneous Election’.
Mainly Six constitutional amendments are required to conduct elections to the state assemblies as well as the parliament simultaneously across the country. For this, Centre needs the approval of half the states. Currently, the strength of the NDA government in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha is not enough for getting approval for the bill in the both the houses. Support of additional MPs will have to be mobilized for this task.
Back-ground of ON-OE
India used to have simultaneous elections from 1951-52 to 1967. Nevertheless, this pattern was interrupted as a result of the early termination of certain state legislatures in 1968 and 1969.
The Law Commission of India issued a preliminary report in 2018 suggesting simultaneous elections, necessitating changes to the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act 1951, and the Rules of Procedure of Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
A high-level committee, led by ex-President Ram Nath Kovind, was constituted by the Indian Government on September 2, 2023, to investigate the matter of simultaneous elections. On March 14, 2024, the committee presented an 18,000-page report proposing the establishment of an "Appointed Date" for the next electoral term starting in 2029, which would necessitate 18 changes to the Constitution and approval from a minimum of 50% of the states. On 18th September, Union Cabinet approved Kovind Committee’s report on ON-OE.
Responses and Prospects
Although the BJP and NDA allies back the proposal, the Congress and several other opposition parties fear it may harm regional parties and weaken the federal governance structure. The proposal has been condemned by the Indian National Congress for potentially decreasing government accountability to the public.
Major Challenges for ON-OE
These challenges highlight the complexity of implementing "One Nation, One Election" in India.
· Constitutional Challenges: Amending the Constitution is a major hurdle, specifically Articles 83, 85, 172, 174, and 356, which deal with the terms and dissolution powers of the President and state governors. This requires approval from all state and union territory governments, as well as major political parties.
· Logistical Challenges: Conducting simultaneous elections across India demands significant scaling up of logistical and technical infrastructure, including electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) units.
· Practical Challenges: Managing situations where a state or central government loses a no-confidence motion or is dissolved before completing its term is a concern. It would be impractical to require all other states to hold fresh elections simultaneously.
· Regional and Smaller Parties' Concerns: Some experts argue that simultaneous elections would prevent or overshadow regional issues and give prominence to national issues, affecting regional and smaller parties. Other concerns include distorted voting patterns, state-level political alterations, and the potential for parties to stop working throughout the year and only focus on developmental work when elections are near.
