Simultaneous Elections (“One Nation, One Election”)

SYLLABUS:

GS 2> Polity   >   Election  >   Electoral reforms

REFERENCE NEWS:

• Recently, the high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind has recommended simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies as the first step and holding municipal and panchayat polls within 100 days of the general election in the next phase.

MORE ON NEWS:

• If the government elected in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections supports the Kovind committee's recommendations and starts implementation quickly, the first simultaneous elections could occur by 2029. To align the schedules, state assemblies with elections between June 2024 and May 2029 would adjust their terms to end with the 18th Lok Sabha, resulting in some states having shorter legislative terms as a one-time measure.
• The 22nd Law Commission, that is examining the simultaneous polls issue, is also expected to submit its report to the Law Ministry anytime now and recommend simultaneous polls from the 2029 general election cycle.

WHAT IS MEANT BY SIMULTANEOUS ELECTIONS?

• Simultaneous elections popularly referred to as “One Nation, One Election," mean holding elections to the Lok Sabha, all state legislative assemblies, and urban and rural local bodies (municipalities and panchayats) at the same time.
• In such a scenario, a voter would normally cast his/her vote for electing members of Lok Sabha and State Assembly on a single day and at the same time.

BACKGROUND:

• Simultaneous elections are not a novel concept in India. The elections in 1952, 1957, and 1962 were held simultaneously. However, the cycle was first broken in 1959 after the Centre invoked Article 356 (failure of constitutional machinery) to dismiss the then-Kerala government.
• Subsequently, due to defections and counter-defections between parties, several legislative assemblies were dissolved post-1960, which eventually led to separate polls for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
• Currently, the assembly polls in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha are held together with the Lok Sabha elections.
• The proposal to revert to ONOE was initially introduced in 1983 by the Election Commission and later by the Law Commission in its 1999 Report.
• However, the pace started picking up after its mention in the BJP manifesto for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

NEED FOR SIMULTANEOUS ELECTION (ONE NATION ONE ELECTION)

• Indian polity is perennially in an election mode:
  • Barring a few years within a normal 5-year tenure of the Lok Sabha, the country witnesses, on an average, elections to about 5-7 State Assemblies every year.
• Promote good governance:
  • As elections are frequent, parties and governments are always in campaign mode. If simultaneous elections are held, it will give a clear five years to the political parties to focus on governance.
• Promote developmental work:
  • The model code of conduct curtails some powers of an incumbent government during elections, resulting in delays in implementing welfare schemes which are already underway. A single election can restrict this delay to once every five years.
• Reduce election expenditure:
  • Frequent elections lead to massive expenditures by political parties and other stakeholders. Simultaneous elections offers an opportunity to optimize the expenses.
  • Further, when elections are held independently, entire expenditure on actual conduct of elections to Lok Sabha and state legislatures is borne by Government of India and respective State Governments respectively.
  • If concurrent election to Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assembly is held, then the expenditure can be shared between Central and respective State Governments.
• Better manpower management:
  • Frequent elections lead to a lock-in of CAPF and state police forces for prolonged periods. This takes away a portion of the force which could otherwise be better deployed for other internal security purposes. Synchronised polls will reduce the frequency of diversion of forces from their normal duties.
• Invisible and incalculable socio-economic costs:
  • Due to election duties, each election also means teachers missing from schools and colleges, the entire revenue machinery on election-related work, officers and vehicles put to use on elections
• Break Politics-corruption nexus:
  • As elections happen frequently, political parties are constantly looking for the inflow of funds. This is considered as one of the key drivers for corruption and black-money in the country. Simultaneous elections could open up possibilities to address the above systemic problems.
• Break the perpetual cycle of social evils:
  • Elections are polarizing events which have accentuated casteism, communalism, corruption and crony capitalism. If the country is perpetually on election mode, there is no respite from these evils.
• Reduce disruption of public life:
  • Frequent elections lead to disruption of normal public life and impact the functioning of essential services. Eg: Holding of political rallies disrupts road traffic and also leads to noise pollution.
  • If simultaneous elections are held, this period of disruption would be limited to a certain pre-determined period of time.
• Promote competitive populism:
  • Given the desperation of parties to win elections, there is a tendency to squander resources on short-term, unproductive freebies at the cost of infrastructure, quality education and healthcare. This can be reduced to a great extend through simultaneous elections.

CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTATION:

• Legislative changes:
  • Such a change requires a major overhaul of the existing legislations like the Constitution, the Representation of the People’s Act 1951 and the Rules of Procedure of Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
  • Example: Article 356 on the powers to impose President’s rule in the states will have to be loosened.
  • Example: Articles 83(2) and 172(1) on, respectively, the terms of the Lok Sabha and state assemblies will have to be modified to allow for curtailing/extending the terms of the legislature.
• Synchronizing elections:
  • The terms of a large number of state assemblies will have to be curtailed/extended for an initial synchronisation of the state elections with that to the Lok Sabha.
  • Synchronizing the election calendar in any given state with that of the Centre would deprive a state of one of the essential elements of Westminster democracy - A government may choose to dissolve itself, or a government may fall if it loses its majority.
• Attaining consensus:
  • To create a workable framework, support and consensus from opposition parties, state governments, regional parties and pressure groups is needed. This would be challenging, given the wide diversity of Indian politics.
• Inadequate manpower:
  • There is a dearth of security and administrative officials to conduct simultaneous free and fair elections throughout the country in one go.
  • Eg: According to a report issued by Common Cause in 2019, the Indian police force is at only 77% of its sanctioned strength.
• Operational challenges:
  • Incremental requirement of EVMs and personnel is likely to pose a big challenge to the operational feasibility of simultaneous elections.

CONCERNS OVER SIMULTANEOUS ELECTIONS:

• Against federalism:
  • Clubbing elections amounts to diluting federal system in favor of centralization.
  • This leads to homogenization of the country, instead of bringing equity, sustaining plurality, and promoting local and regional leadership.
• Erosion of accountability:
  • Having to face electorate more than once every 5 year enhances the accountability of politicians and parties. It often forces governments to reconsider their plans and policies after each election. But simultaneous election would give governments immunity from public scrutiny.
• Impact on voter behaviour:
  • Not all voters are highly educated to know who to vote for. There is a high chance that the voter will vote for the same party for both the state and centre.
• Issue of dissolution/byelection:
  • The occasional dissolution of governments/byelections in India is all but inevitable. In such cases, the election cycle would go out of sync.
  • In case of dissolution, the only option would be to bring in President’s rule until the next synchronized election cycle, which violated democratic values.
• Sidelines regional parties and issues:
  • In simultaneous elections, the national narrative submerges the regional story, which pushes smaller parties, local issues and the concerns of marginalized communities to the sidelines.
• Diversity of India:
  • The Law Commission's recommendations of simultaneous elections specifically drew from countries like Sweden, Belgium and South Africa. Unlike India, they are relatively small, less diverse nations and the electoral systems are based on proportional representation. Hence, the applicability of such models in India are questionable.
• No effect on individual election expenses:
  • Simultaneous elections cannot bring down the expenses of the candidates. Practical experience shows that candidates would be spending the same amount by adopting innovative methods.

WAY FORWARD:

• Constitutional and Legal Framework: Revise the Constitution and other pertinent laws carefully to accommodate the changes necessary for simultaneous elections. This includes adjusting terms of legislative bodies initially and establishing mechanisms to deal with early dissolutions or extensions.
• Build Consensus: Engage in wide-ranging consultations with political parties, state governments, civil society, and the public to build consensus. The success of such a fundamental change depends on its acceptance across the political spectrum and among the citizenry.
• Strengthening Electoral Infrastructure: Invest in and upgrade the electoral infrastructure to handle the logistical demands of simultaneous elections. This includes ensuring a sufficient number of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), training personnel, and enhancing the capabilities of the Election Commission and its state counterparts.
• Pilot Projects: Before a nationwide implementation, conduct pilot projects in selected regions to identify practical challenges and assess the impact on voter behavior, administrative efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. This step would provide valuable insights and data to guide full-scale implementation.
• Safeguards for Democracy and Federalism: Implement safeguards to protect the federal structure and democratic principles. This includes measures to ensure that local issues and regional parties are not sidelined and that governments remain accountable throughout their terms.
• Voter Education: Launch comprehensive voter education campaigns to inform and educate the electorate about the changes, emphasizing the importance of voting in both local and national contexts. This would help mitigate the risk of voter fatigue or confusion.
• Legal and Administrative Mechanisms for Exceptions: Develop clear legal and administrative mechanisms to deal with exceptions, such as the dissolution of legislative bodies due to a no-confidence motion or other reasons. This ensures that the democratic process remains uninterrupted and flexible.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q. Simultaneous election has the potential to transform Indian electoral system, but major hurdles remain in the path to its successful implementation. Discuss.(15 marks, 250 words)