New Delhi:
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the ‘one nation, one election’ proposal, accepting the report of a panel formed in September and led by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
The “One Nation, One Election” proposal seeks to synchronize the timing of elections for the Lok Sabha (the lower house of India’s Parliament), state assemblies, and other local bodies to be held simultaneously across the country.
Here are the key elements of the proposal:
1. Simultaneous Elections: The primary goal is to align national, state, and local elections on a single day or during a set period, instead of the current system where elections are staggered across states and regions. This would mean that all major elections in the country are held at the same time.
2. A key argument for this proposal is the reduction of the administrative and financial burden of conducting separate elections. The government expects that holding simultaneous elections will significantly cut election-related expenses, logistical demands, and the cost of deploying security personnel.
3. Governance Stability: Proponents argue that the current model of staggered elections creates frequent disruptions in governance. They believe that synchronized elections will lead to better stability, as governments won’t be in constant campaign mode, allowing them to focus on governance for most of their term.
4. Challenges: Critics of the plan highlight the complexity of implementing simultaneous elections. Adjustments would need to be made to the terms of various state legislatures to align their election dates, and constitutional amendments may be required. There are also concerns that such a system might dilute the focus on local issues in state elections as national issues could dominate the narrative.
A high-level committee has been formed to examine the legal and logistical framework required for implementation.
