The Ram Nath Kovind-led panel was established by the Modi-led Union government to investigate the feasibility of "one nation, one election" in a significant move that could potentially transform India's electoral environment.
The government had set aside September 18–22 for a special session of Parliament when the announcement was made. Rumor has it that the government will present a bill for unified elections.
Five states will hold assembly elections in November-December, while the Lok Sabha elections will take place in May and June of the following year.
What's 'One Nation, One Election'
The aim behind "One Nation, One Election" is to hold simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies across the entire nation. This entails having the Lok Sabha and all state assembly elections at the same time, with voting probably occurring simultaneously.
Longtime supporter of holding the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections at the same time is Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Currently, elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies take place independently, either at the conclusion of the current government's five-year term in office or in the event of its dissolution for a variety of reasons.
What are the Advantages of Holding Elections at the Same Time?
The ability to significantly reduce the costs associated with holding separate elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies is one of the main justifications for holding joint elections. Some estimates claim that the 2019 Lok Sabha elections saw a whopping expenditure of almost Rs 60,000 crore. This sum includes fees incurred by political parties participating in the electoral process as well as expenses incurred by the Election Commission of India for managing the polls.
Administrative costs: Repeatedly deploying and moving security staff results in large and evident administrative costs. The government machinery misses out on its usual duties during each election because of election duty and related labor. The election budget does not take into consideration these millions of man-hours.
Policy impasse: In addition, supporters of synchronized elections claim that administrative effectiveness across the country might increase because the usual sluggishness during voting times would be minimized. Due to official tasks performed in connection with elections, routine administrative operations frequently experience difficulties.
Government employees are affected by the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), as no new significant policy can be announced or put into effect after the elections are called.
As simultaneous elections may do away with the requirement for the Model Code of Conduct, which temporarily halts the introduction of new public welfare projects during election times, consistency in policy implementation between the federal government and state governments is also predicted.
Greater voter turnout: Because voting would be easier for citizens if elections were held simultaneously, there is a chance that greater voter turnout will result.
Problems and worries
But the possibility of concurrent elections demands constitutional changes to match the length of state legislative assembly tenure with that of the Lok Sabha. It would also be necessary to amend the Representation of the People Act and other parliamentary procedures.
In order to reconcile their election dates with the deadline for the rest of the country, simultaneous elections would need unilaterally cutting or extending the terms of the present legislatures.
Some claim that forcing simultaneous elections violates the spirit of democracy since it seeks to impose an unnatural election cycle while restricting the options available to voters.
The prominence of national problems overshadowing local concerns during simultaneous elections is criticized, particularly by regional parties. Additionally, they mention the likely inability to match the electoral plans and spending of major parties.
According to research by the IDFC Institute, there is a 77 percent chance that voters will support the same political party or alliance for both state assemblies and the Lok Sabha if elections are held every six months. If the elections are separated by six months, this percentage reduces to 61 percent.
Defending and opposing
In India, the idea of concurrent elections was widespread until 1967. The Election Commission attempted to revive it in 1983, but it had faded due to the early dissolution of various legislative bodies including the Lok Sabha. However, the government at the time rejected the proposal. Later attempts to bring back synchronized elections have included those in the 1999 Law Commission report and the BJP's 2014 election platform.
In 2016, Prime Minister Modi reopened the dialogue on the subject, and the Niti Aayog's working paper was released the following year. Despite the Election Commission's assurances of readiness, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra noted in 2022 that executing the proposal would require parliamentary action and constitutional amendments.