In India, state elections and General or Lok Sabha (Parliamentary) elections are conducted as separate events. Every state holds its elections every five years, as does the Lok Sabha. Each state follows its own electoral cycle. However, if the ‘one nation, one election’ proposal (ONOP) becomes law, it will synchronize the timing of all elections in India, including those for the Lok Sabha (parliament), state legislative assemblies, and local bodies, to be held simultaneously.
Necessity of ONOP: Frequent elections not only impose a huge burden on human resources but also impede the development process due to the promulgation of the model code of conduct. Besides, simultaneous elections may save time and the government can get five stable years to focus on governance instead of winning polls. In addition, it will reduce frequent political distractions because many leaders leave their state constituency to canvass for their party in another State election.
Longer election cycles will ensure that the voters can hold governments accountable for fulfilling their manifesto promises, leading to better accountability among elected representatives.
We are aware that nearly 55,000 crores were spent during the 2019 parliamentary elections. Political parties and candidates can allocate their resources, including time and manpower, more efficiently when elections are held together, optimizing their campaigns.
At present, the voter heads to the polling booth at least thrice in five years. Political parties tend to offer huge freebies and handouts in order to stay in power. This is causing huge fiscal damage. In addition, we have observed that during the by-polls there is always less than the usual percentage of voting because the tempo or zeal for exercising their voting rights dampens with frequent elections. Therefore, the implementation of ONOP will ensure higher voter turnout and more informed participation in the electoral process.
Hurdles in implementation of ONOP: To ensure that a state government does not fall without an alternative, the Law Commission recommended that a no-confidence motion against a government should be followed by a confidence motion so that if the Opposition doesn't have the numbers to form an alternative government, the regime in office cannot be removed. It is true that concrete provisions for hung legislatures, or the premature dissolution of governments need to be established. If the Centre continues to have the power to dismiss the state government (under Article 356), there cannot be the One Nation One Poll rule eligibility. Therefore, the Central government constituted a committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind to explore the possibility of 'One Nation, One Election'. The committee will suggest constitutional amendments. Hence, these amendments would require approval from 67% (3/4th) of Lok Sabha members, 67% of Rajya Sabha members, and 50% of state legislatures.
There is misconceived fear among some that the voters may end up voting on national issues even for state polls which would benefit larger national parties and marginalise regional parties. Under this rule, a wave of one person or one issue may give unbridled power to rule. However, the Delhi state elections saw people have been voting for candidates of different political parties in Lok Sabha (parliament), state legislative assemblies, and local bodies.
It is also true that there are Logistical and Administrative Challenges. Coordinating elections across the entire nation will be a complex and resource-intensive task, leading to increased voting machines, security personnel deployment etc.
In addition, consensus needs to be built among the ruling and opposition parties to bring ONOP. However, we observe opposition to the proposed electoral reform which might have far-reaching consequences similar to the implementation of the GST. However, we recollect that most of the opposition parties had opposed GST citing encroachment on federalism. The truth of the matter is that GST proved to unify national commerce and taxation.
Conclusion: The Smaller or regional political parties may feel disadvantaged today in a synchronized election cycle, as they may not have the resources or visibility to compete at the national level. However, in the national interest, ONOP should be supported and implemented with the required constitutional changes.