One nation, one election: The ball is set rolling

Subhasish Mitra (Wide Angle)

The government's sudden move to set up a committee to study the feasibility of "one nation, one election" has left everyone guessing as to whether it signalled the possibility of Lok Sabha polls being advanced so that they could be held with assembly elections in five states later this year. Besides, terms of 10 other state assemblies are scheduled to end before or around 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

 

Former President Ram Nath Kovind has been tasked with the responsibility of heading a committee to explore feasibility of "one nation, one election".

 

Kovind will explore the feasibility and the mechanism to see as to how the country can go back to having simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, as was the case till 1967.

 

Experts say that holding simultaneous polls will require at least five amendments to the Constitution and, of course, a large number of additional EVMs and paper-trail machines costing "thousands of crores of rupees", but will surely yield a huge long-term saving to the public exchequer. Additional polling personnel and security forces would also be needed to hold the massive democratic exercise.

 

A parliamentary panel had examined the issue of simultaneous elections in consultation with various stakeholders, including the Election Commission. The committee made certain recommendations in this regard. The matter now stands referred to the Law Commission for further examination to work out a "practicable road map and framework" for simultaneous elections.

 

Simultaneous elections would result in huge savings for the public exchequer and avoid replication of effort on the part of administrative, and law and order machinery in holding repeated elections. It would bring considerable savings to political parties and candidates in their election campaigns.

 

At the same time, a synchronous Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly elections (including bye-elections) result in prolonged enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct with its concomitant adverse impact on developmental and welfare programmes, the experts noted.

 

They pointed out that simultaneous polls would require amendments in at least five articles of the Constitution -- Article 83 relating to the duration of Houses of Parliament, Article 85 relating to dissolution of Lok Sabha by the President, Article 172 relating to the duration of the state legislatures, Article 174 relating to dissolution of the state legislatures, and Article 356 relating to the imposition of President's Rule in states.

 

A consensus of all political parties is also required keeping in mind the federal structure of India's system of governance. Besides, it is imperative that consensus of all state governments is obtained.

 

Since coming to power in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a strong votary for the idea of simultaneous polls, which include those at local bodies, citing financial burden caused by almost continuous election cycle and jolt to development work during the polling period.

 

At the same time, it is quite pertinent to note that Kovind as the country's then president had made a strong pitch for debate and consensus among all parties on simultaneous polls while addressing a joint session of Parliament on January 29, 2018.

 

Kovind had said citizens alive to the state of governance in the country are concerned about the frequent elections in one part of the country or another, which adversely impact the economy and development. "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. Therefore, a sustained debate is required on the subject of simultaneous elections and all political parties need to arrive at a consensus on this issue," he had said.

 

Again in his address to the first joint sitting of Parliament after the election of the 17th Lok Sabha, Kovind had made a strong pitch for 'One Nation, Simultaneous Elections'. "During the last few decades, due to frequent elections being held in some part of the country or the other, the pace and continuity of development programmes have been impacted," he had said.

 

Noting that the people of the country have demonstrated "their wisdom by delivering a clear verdict both on state and national issues", Kovind had said, "With such a system in place, all political parties, according to their respective ideologies, will be able to better utilise their energy towards development and public welfare. Therefore, I urge all Members of Parliament to seriously ponder over this development-oriented proposal of 'One Nation, Simultaneous Elections'."

 

Like the prime minister, Kovind had called for a sustained debate and expressed hope that all political parties arrive at a consensus on this issue.

 

Over a year after demitting office, the 77-year-old former President will now head a committee constituted by the government to explore the feasibility of 'one nation, one election'.

 

The department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice in its 79th report had highlighted that in South Africa, elections to national as well as provincial legislatures are held simultaneously for five years and municipal elections are held two years later.

 

In Sweden, elections to national legislature (Riksdag) and provincial legislature/county council (landsting) and local bodies/municipal assemblies (Kommunfullmaktige) are held on a fixed date -- second Sunday in September for four years.

 

In the UK, the term of Parliament is governed by the Fixed-term Parliament Act, 2011.

 

Thus, 'one nation, one election' in India' is certainly an idea whose time has come.