NEW DELHI: The Centre’s ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal has become a political hot potato with the 2024 general elections just a few months away. Signalling its commitment to the idea, the Modi government recently sought recommendations from two panels — the 22nd Law Commission and a high-level committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind on the feasibility of holding simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
While the law panel is in the process of finalising its report, it hinted at timelines of 2024 and 2029 for the rollout of synchronised elections across the country. However, several Opposition parties are against the concept as they see it as a direct threat to federalism.
Centre’s push
Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for simultaneous polls in 2014, the idea was in circulation much before that. In 1983, the Election Commission suggested simultaneous elections and the Law Commission headed by Justice B P Jeevan Reddy in 1999 endorsed the proposal. The then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee attempted to implement it in 2003, but the proposal did not garner enough support. In 2015, a Parliamentary Standing Committee headed by E M Sudarsana Natchiappan favoured the concept of simultaneous elections. “The holding of simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies would reduce the massive expenditure that is currently incurred for the conduct of separate elections,” the panel said. Its report also pointed out that simultaneous polls would reduce the burden on manpower deployed during election time.
However, the Opposition, including the Congress termed the report “unworkable, antidemocratic and unconstitutional". In 2017, a Niti Aayog report pointed out that simultaneous elections can reduce the huge expenses incurred for conducting elections. In its draft report prepared by the 21st Law Commission in 2018, it said simultaneous elections were desirable, but a workable formula must be evolved in the Constitution. The panel led by Justice B S Chauhan, drew up a comprehensive roadmap for the rollout of simultaneous polls in 2024, starting from 2019.
With the idea gaining currency, the Centre recently constituted the Kovind-led panel to study the matter. The mandate of the committee includes examining the modalities of using a single electoral roll and electoral identity card for voters in elections in three tiers. It will also examine the logistics and manpower required, including EVMs, VVPATs, etc. Besides, one of the terms of reference of the high-level committee is to examine if constitutional amendments would have to be ratified by the state assemblies. Parallelly, the 22nd Law Commission is pouring over its predecessor's draft report before it takes its final call. The panel's report to the Union Law Ministry is expected shortly.
Curbing expenditure
Making a strong pitch for simultaneous polls, the government cites the massive expenditure incurred in conducting and supervising frequent elections as one of the factors against staggering it. Those in favour of the idea say synchronisation would reduce the humongous expenses incurred for conducting elections, which even by a rough estimate is around `3,500-4,000 crore. In addition, at least an equal amount is spent by the political parties and individual candidates. By holding simultaneous polls, the government also wants to avoid disruptions in governance and prolonged imposition of the model code of conduct. The government argues that the model code slows down its ambitious development and welfare programmes, which leads to ad hocism as no firm policy decisions can be taken when it is in force. Besides, parties in power tend to take populist measures rather than pragmatic ones when polls are around the corner. Supporters of the proposal also say that simultaneous polls will increase voter turnout, as it is convenient for people to cast their ballots on one day. There is also an argument that frequent elections are a threat to security and safety as a large number of paramilitary forces are diverted from sensitive border areas as well during elections.
Opposition sees red
However, several Opposition-ruled states are of the view that simultaneous elections is an assault on the basic structure of the Constitution and federalism as it would change the system into a unitary structure. These parties argue that with simultaneous polls, the ruling party would become autocratic without any checks and balances, which would dramatically shrink the choice of the electorate. It was felt that any amendment in the Constitution or any other statute would be for mala fide reasons as the very purpose of holding simultaneous elections is to have a unitary system.
Concerns have been raised by parties that it would work to the advantage of national parties over regional parties and national issues might eclipse the local ones. If Parliament or assemblies are prematurely dissolved before completing their terms of five years to hold simultaneous elections, “there will be an irretrievable breakdown of the sacrament that exists between people and Parliament", many argue. Critics also say it would affect the choice of the voter as their right of choice would not be reflected during such elections, thus infringing on their freedom of speech and expression. At least five amendments would be required in the Constitution to facilitate simultaneous polls, which could be the biggest stumbling block for its rollout. Experts also point out that while there is a ceiling on the expenditure of candidates in the fray, the idea is defeated by not having a limit on expenditure by political parties. Costs can be reduced substantially by putting a cap on expenses by political parties, they reckon.
History of ‘one nation, one poll’
During the first two decades after Independence, Lok Sabha and assembly elections were held simultaneously in 1951-52, 1957, 1962, and 1967. However, due to the dissolution of certain state assemblies in 1968 and 1969 followed by the dissolution of the Lok Sabha in 1970 and the subsequent general elections in 1971, the cycle of simultaneous elections was disrupted. The sequence was first broken in Kerala when the E M S Namboodiripad-led government was dismissed in 1959 after the Centre invoked Article 356 of the Constitution. The main reason behind the synchronised elections till then was the dominance of the Congress as regional parties had little or no say then. Among the countries that follow the system of simultaneous polls at present are South Africa, Belgium, Germany and Sweden.
Challenges ahead
The major challenges to facilitate simultaneous polls would be the Constitutional amendments and fixing of tenures of the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. It will require curtailment and extension of terms of the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. The 21st Law Commission, in its draft report, pointed out that holding simultaneous elections was not possible within the existing framework of the Constitution. The draft suggested that the terms of certain state assemblies require curtailment or extension, necessitating amendments to the Constitution. Once the elections are synchronised, it would need political will to ensure it stays that way forever, the report said. It also suggested remedies to avoid a crisis in the event of a no-confidence motion, hung Parliament or assembly and Budgetary defeat.