India used to One Nation One Poll from (1951-1967) and Modi government is trying to revive the electoral system of those times. But is it possible to have simultaneous Parliamentary and Assembly elections in today’s time?. The answer is both yes and no. Theoretically it is possible but practically it is very difficult.
Simultaneous election will require 18 amendments to existing laws, including 5 constitutional amendments involving Article 83 ( duration of House of Parliament), Article 85 ( dissolution of Lok Sabha), Article 172 (duration of state legislature). Article 174 (dissolution of state assemblies) and Article 356 (President’s rule in the State).
In September 2023 the Narendra Modi government set up a high level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind to examine and give recommendations on the issue of holding simultaneous elections in the country. A year later on September 18 the new Modi cabinet accepted the committee’s recommendations which proposed elections in two phases ( In the first phase, Lok Sabha and Assembly elections would be held simultaneously and in the second, local body elections would be held within 100 days of the general elections).
The Central government despite opposition from the political parties and civil society has decided to move forward with the One Nation One Poll (ONOP) plan, with the union cabinet accepting recommendations from the Ram Nath Kovind committee. The govt is expected to bring constitutional bills to this effect during the upcoming winter session of Parliament.
Over the past one year meetings and feedback exercises with political parties were held to build consensus on the issue, but opinions remain sharply divided as they were when Prime Minister Modi first proposed the idea in 2017 at the BJP headquarter in New Delhi.
Opponents of the bill say that it runs contrary to the core principles of federalism and transgress on state’s autonomy. They further state that simultaneous elections will undermine democratic diversity and introduce administrative complexities that far outweigh the benefits. They argue that having simultaneous elections weakens democratic choice by forcing an artificial electoral cycle limiting the freedom of voters.
Experts say holding synchronised elections could diminish the focus on state specific issues as national concern may dominate the discussion having the potential to marginalise regional interests. Experts also say that the logistical challenges of conducting elections across the vast and diverse nations all at once are immense. Managing voter lists, security and the sheer scale of organising simultaneous elections could strain EC’s resources. Also it raises legal and constitutional challenges. What will happen if a state government fails to complete it’s full term due to various reasons?. Will fresh elections be delayed to align with the national cycle, thereby extending or curtailing terms undemocratically?.
Those in favour of ONOP like BJP and its allies say that simultaneous elections will save the taxpayer’s money, which can be used for development purpose. Advocate of the bill also state that the constant cycle of elections drain the public coffers, hinder governance, disrupts governance through the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, and diverts administrative resources away from development work.
Whether ONOP becomes a reality or not only time will tell, but it has already widened the chasm that existed between the BJP and the opposition.
