Modi Cabinet clears ‘One Nation, One Election: How would it work?

It was one of the big poll promises. Now 101 days after the third Narendra Modi government came to power, the Union Cabinet has approved the “One Nation, One Election” plan. The proposal for simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections with urban body and panchayat polls was recommended in a report by a panel led by former President Ram Nath Kovind.

The
Bill is likely to be introduced in the upcoming winter session of Parliament. The BJP’s key allies, the Janata Dal (United) and the Lok Janshakti Party, have extended their support to the plan earlier. Wednesday’s Cabinet decision comes a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated that the government would implement “One Nation, One Election” in this term. Simultaneous polls have been PM Modi’s promise since his first term in 2014. PM Modi advocated for it during his
Independence Day speech last month.

Addressing the media after the Cabinet decision, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said One Nation, One Election would be implemented in two phases. The first would cover Lok Sabha elections and Assembly elections, while the second phase would cover local body elections, within 100 days of the first phase.

With the Modi Sarkar 3.0 clearing ‘One Nation, One Election’ plan, we take a closer look at it — from arguments in its favour to arguments against it.

What is One Nation, One Election?

As the name suggests, it is the idea of holding simultaneous elections at the national and state level. Historically, elections to the Lok Sabha and various Legislative Assemblies of States were mostly held simultaneously from 1951-52 to 1967 after which this cycle was broken.

Notably, this Lok Sabha election also saw a few state elections being held simultaneously. These were Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, and Odisha.

What will One Nation, One Election look like?

The Cabinet’s approval of the One Nation, One Election plan is based on the report of a panel led by ex-President Ram Nath Kovind. In March, the Kovind-led panel had submitted its recommendations.

As per the panel, elections would be held in two phases — the first would see polls for Lok Sabha and State assemblies and 100 days later, local body elections to panchayats and municipal bodies would be conducted.

The panel has also called for a common electoral roll for all elections and single voter ID cards by the Election Commission of India (ECI), in consultation with the state election authorities. For this, the report recommended amending Article 325 of the Constitution.

Why do some support One Nation, One Election?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a vocal supporter of conducting simultaneous elections across India. In 2019, soon after his re-election, Modi had said that a panel would be formed to discuss the proposal with all political parties.

In fact, the BJP has long been a proponent of the idea of holding simultaneous elections. In the past, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the then Prime Minister, had discussed the idea with then Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Veteran BJP leader LK Advani had also taken up the matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2010, as per an Indian Express report.

Many point out that the idea of One Nation, One Election would significantly cut down
election expenses. The EC estimates that Rs 10,000 crore was spent on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Unofficial estimates put this figure at Rs 60,000 crore in 2019 and Rs 30,000 crore in the 2014 general elections.

Meanwhile, states spend somewhere between Rs 250-500 crore per Assembly poll, according to The News Minute (TNM). Supporters claim that by holding simultaneous elections, this cost would drastically be reduced. As Akshay Rout, former Director General of Election Commission of India had written in an Economic Times report, “Combined elections could optimise public funds and the burden shared between the Centre and states could significantly come down.”

Another reason to implement One Nation, One Election, according to supporters, is that it will allow for easy governance. They argue that as elections are almost perpetually being held in some part of the country, the Election Commission implements the
Model Code of Conduct, which puts a hold on introducing projects or policy plans.

Some also argue that holding simultaneous elections would improve
voter turnout. As the Law Commission previously noted it would be easier for voters to cast many votes at one time rather than voting on different occasions.

One Nation, One Election would also reduce the burden on the security forces, which are roped in to ensure smooth and violent-free polls.

Lastly, constant electioneering has resulted in polarising campaigns, which has created deep cracks in our multi-religious and multilingual country. One Nation, One Election would be able to resolve this issue.

If that’s the case, why are people opposing it?

While there are several benefits to implementing One Nation, One Election, the idea is not without its drawbacks.

Some argue that holding elections for both the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies would result in national issues overshadowing regional and state-specific issues. Moreover, national political parties would earn a huge advantage over regional parties. A study by the IDFC Institute in 2015 found that 77 per cent of electors are likely to cast votes for the same party in case of simultaneous polls. However, only 61 per cent of voters will choose the same party if polls are conducted six months apart.

There’s also the problem of requiring more manpower as well as electronic voting machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines.

Earlier, Communist Party of India’s D Raja had said: “One Nation, One Election is not a new issue. It has been discussed for several years. Ever since the BJP came to power, it has been obsessed with one nation, one culture; one nation, one religion; one nation, one language; one nation, one tax; now one nation, one election; then one nation, one party; one nation, one leader. That is the obsession the BJP is suffering from.”

The TMC, speaking on the Cabinet’s approval of the plan, also expressed its disdain for the BJP. Party leader Derek O’Brien said, “One nation, one election is just another cheap stunt by the anti-democratic BJP.”

There’s also the issue of One Nation, One Election requiring constitutional amendments. To make this a reality, constitutional amendments will have to be made to Articles 83, 85, 172 and 174 that deal with the duration and dissolution of Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies. It will also require the amendment of Article 356.