On September 2, the Centre established a committee that will analyze the multiple aspects involved in the "one nation, one election" plan. The committee will be responsible for deeply looking into all the aspects, both logistical and legal.
Seven terms of reference have been outlined by the Law Ministry for the panel. The panel comprises eight members and includes Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The panel is headed by former President of India, Ram Nath Kovind. The panel will be exploring the possibility of the "one nation, one election" idea.
The One Nation One Election plan is an attempt to give a novel form to the electoral landscape of India. The government has planned a specific Parliament session starting from September 18 to 22.
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Understanding the "One Nation, One Election" Idea
The idea of "One Nation, One Election" basically deals with the concept of conducting elections simultaneously across the country for both Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. This would imply that when executed, the elections for all the state assemblies and the Lok Sabha will be held simultaneously, and the voting for all these elections will be occurring concurrently.
The idea was long advocated by the Prime Minister himself.
Currently, the elections for state assemblies and the Lok Sabha take place at separate intervals at the conclusion of a five-year term for the incumbent government.
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Are there any benefits to discuss?
The plan comes with some specific advantages to discuss. First things first, joint polls obviously lead to a lot of money saving. Along with that, it won't be wise to deny the fact that the plan also saves time. According to reports, a sum of about Rs 60,000 crore was made to use at the time of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. This huge cost included the expenses of political parties along with the cost of organizing the elections incurred by the Election Commission.
Not to miss, a discussion on expenses incurred in conducting elections must also include the expenditures related to deploying security officers during polls.
Voter turnout may increase
Providing ease to the voters can lead to higher voter turnout. How? Well, elections held simultaneously could potentially result in a higher voter turnout than usual. The rationale behind this possibility is that casting votes may be more comfortable for the voters when these elections are conducted together.
Possible concerns
The idea also comes up with some possible concerns to discuss. One major concern that may be troubling many leaders is the fact that such a change in the electoral process will lead to constitutional amendments.
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