What is One Nation, One Election? Understanding the Working of the Proposal

Recently, a report has been sent by a committee spearheaded by former President Ram Nath Kovind on the proposal of the government for advocating "One Nation, One Election". The proposal advocates for simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in the country.

The panel called upon the Election Commission of the country, economists, and over 39 political parties. The panel backs the proposal of "One Nation, One Election". However, it also says that there is a need for a legally sustainable framework that can re-align the electoral cycles.

The report is submitted to the present President of India, Droupadi Murmu. The report said that the committee unanimously holds the opinion that there should be simultaneous polls in the country.

Let us understand what exactly is the "One Nation, One Election" proposal.

What is the One Nation, One Election proposal?

The One Nation, One Election proposal means conducting simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament) and all state legislative assemblies across India. The key aspects of this proposal are:

• Elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies will be held concurrently, either on the same day or within a specific time frame.
• This aims to streamline the electoral process, reduce the frequency of elections, and save time and resources.
• The proposal advocates synchronizing the terms of the Lok Sabha and state assemblies to five years.

Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand will be conducting state elections later this year. 

The rest of the states follow a five-year cycle of elections which is non-synced.

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While the proposal of One Nation One Election was one of the targets in the manifesto of BJP in the year 2019, there still exist many challenges to the system. These challenges are conceptual, financial, constitutional, and even logistical. The struggle is to implement the proposal to a country as vast as India; a country that holds great cultural and topographical differences.

One Nation One Election Proposal Cleared by Union Cabinet

• The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the 'One Nation One Election' proposal, accepting the report of a high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
• The 'One Nation One Election' bill is likely to be introduced in the upcoming winter session of Parliament.

Key Recommendations of the Kovind Panel Report

• The panel recommended simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies as the first step, followed by synchronized local body polls within 100 days.
• It proposed setting up an 'Implementation Group' to look into the execution of the recommendations.
• The panel suggested the preparation of a common electoral roll and voter ID cards by the Election Commission in consultation with state election authorities.
• It recommended 18 constitutional amendments, most of which will not need ratification by state Assemblies but would require certain constitutional amendment bills to be passed by Parliament.

The reasons why the government advocates for "One Nation, One Election"

It was the Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal who presented the rationale of the government behind the One Nation, One Election proposal and also mentioned the possible challenges.

As told by the Union Law Minister to the Parliament, one benefit of simultaneous elections is financial savings. The plan of One Nation, One Election actually cuts down the cost of stationing security forces and poll officials various times every year. A plan like this also cuts the costs incurred by campaigns led by political parties.

Additionally, synchronous elections may also result in better voter turnouts. Currently, these turnouts vary from state to state.

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What is the working of the One Nation, One Election Plan

There has to be an amendment to the Constitution for implementing the One Nation, One Election plan. The amendment has to be ratified by the state governments and the governments of the union territories of the country.

A failure to do so, as cautioned by the legal experts, may mean an invitation to charges of violating the federal structure of the country.

Amendments have to be made to Article 83, Article 85, Article 172, Article 174, and Article 356 of the Indian Constitution.

One important challenge among many to implement the plan is the ambiguity on how to handle the situation of breaks because of the dissolution of Houses, or the situation of the President's Rule.

As per the polls by the public of India, it seems as if the people of the country are ready to welcome such a plan. Over 21,000 suggestions have been received by the country. Out of the total suggestions, approximately 81 percent voted in favor of the One Nation, One Election plan.

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