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19th September 2024 (10 Topics)

One Nation-One Election

Context

The Union cabinet has accepted a high-level committee's recommendations on ‘One Nation, One Election’ for holding simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies in a phased manner after a countrywide consensus-building exercise.

What is One Nation, One Election?

  • The 'One Nation One Election' proposal aims to hold simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha (India's national parliament) and all state legislative assemblies.
  • This synchronized system is expected to streamline the election process and reduce the frequency of elections across the country.
  • Until 1967, independent India had witnessed four simultaneous elections for Parliament and state assemblies.
  • Important Reports/Recommendations
    • The Election Commission first suggested the proposal in 1983. It was reiterated by the Law Commission in 1999, under Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy.
    • Subsequent discussions by parliamentary committees in 2015 and the Law Commission's draft report in 2018 have also explored its feasibility, though the latter concluded that the current constitutional framework does not support it.

Amendments in Articles 83 and Article 172 recommended

  • To ensure that simultaneous elections do not conflict with the Constitution, the Kovind committee has proposed amendments to
    • Article 83, which governs the term of the Lok Sabha, and
    • Article 172, which covers the tenure of state assemblies
  • The committee suggested a one-time transitory measure to synchronise all elections and proposed when Lok Sabha is constituted after the general elections, the President would by notification on the same date as that of the first sitting bring into force the provisions for transition.
  • This date would be called the appointed date.

One Nation One Election': Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

  • Conducting all elections concurrently would save significant resources spent on separate state and national elections.
  • It would streamline the electoral calendar, eliminating frequent disruptions due to elections in different states.
  • The Model Code of Conduct often hampers government initiatives and project announcements, which could be avoided with synchronized elections.
  • Coordinating elections at various levels of government—national, state, and local—poses logistical and administrative challenges.
  • Simultaneous polls could favor nationally dominant parties over regional ones, potentially undermining federalism.
  • If any government, whether at the state or national level, were to collapse before its term, it could lead to complicated scenarios and potential governance issues.
  • It could affect smaller regional parties
  • National issues could dominate over regional issues
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