The Union government is likely to table bills facilitating ‘One Nation, One Election’ in the Parliament on Tuesday. According to the law ministry, simultaneous polls will be implemented in the country in two phases in different tiers of governance, within 100 days.
Stating ONOE is not a new concept in India, the law ministry said elections to the Lok Sabha and all state legislative assemblies were conducted simultaneously from 1951 to 1967. However, the cycle of synchronised elections was disrupted following the premature dissolution of some state assemblies and a few Lok Sabha.
As per the report submitted by the high-level committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind to study the feasibility of simultaneous elections, public responses on ONOE “indicated significant concern about the negative impacts of frequent elections, such as voter fatigue and governance disruptions, which are expected to be mitigated by simultaneous elections.”
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According to the report, among responses received from political parties regarding simultaneous elections, 32 parties supported the change while 15 parties raised concerns about potential anti-democratic effects and marginalization of regional parties. Also, majority of former Chief Justices of India, Chief Election Commissioners and legal experts supported simultaneous elections considering the waste of resources and socio-economic disruptions caused by frequent elections. Several industrial organisations have also backed the move, the ministry stated.
As per recommendations of the committee, Articles 82A and 324A of the Indian Constitution must be amended to enable simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and local bodies. “The Committee recommended implementing simultaneous elections in two phases: Phase 1 – Synchronizing Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies elections; Phase 2 – Synchronizing elections for municipalities and panchayats with Lok Sabha and state legislative elections within 100 days,” the ministry said.
According to the committee, ONOE will promote consistency in governance, prevent policy paralysis caused by the implementation of Model Code of Conduct during elections, preserve the relevance of regional parties, more equitable allocation of political opportunities and responsibilities within political parties, improve focus on good governance and reduce financial burden.
