One nation, one election: Rationale, mechanism and difficulties

The Centre on Friday constituted a committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind to explore the feasibility of 'one nation, one election'.

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

He is expected to speak to experts and may also consult leaders of different political parties.

Why call for 'one nation, one election'?

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

Kovind too had echoed Modi's view and expressed his support to the idea after becoming President in 2017.

Addressing Parliament, he had said in 2018, "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."

Like Modi, he had called for a sustained debate and expressed hope that all political parties would reach a consensus on this issue.

A report co-authored by Bibek Dekroy, chairman of the PM's Economic Advisory Council and member of NITI Aayog, had stated that simultaneous elections would cut the expenditure to a significant extent, noting that there has not been a single year in the last 30 years without an election at the state or Lok Sabha level.

Apart from the prolonged deployment of security forces, multiple polls adversely affect the developmental projects due to the frequent imposition of Model Code of Conduct (MCC), the report said.

“Tangibly, frequent imposition of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) leads to suspension of developmental projects and other government activities. The larger intangible impact of frequent elections is that governments and political parties remain in perpetual ‘campaigning’ mode,” the report said.

It also stated that multiple elections curtail the government's risk-taking abilities. “Getting out of this ‘permanent election mode’ is, therefore, a huge structural change in mindset that could potentially provide the much-needed space to governments to focus on long-term transformational measures without worrying about the next impending election.”

Two Law Commissions in the past have supported the need for simultaneous polls while pointing out the extensive constitutional mechanism required to bring it to fruition.

“We must go back to the situation where the elections to Lok Sabha and all the Legislative Assemblies are held at once. It is true that we cannot conceive or provide for all the situations and eventualities that may arise whether on account of the use of Article 356 (which of course has come down substantially after the decision of Supreme Court in SR Bommai vs Union of India) or for other reasons, yet the holding of a separate election to a Legislative Assembly should be an exception and not the rule," the Law Commission had said in its 170th report on Reform of Electoral Laws.

Possible mechanism

The Election Commission had earlier said that holding simultaneous polls for Lok Sabha and all assemblies would need any no-confidence motion to be coupled with a 'confidence motion', while any mid-term election can be conducted only for the remainder of the term.

Proposing amendments to the Constitution, the EC had said the term of Lok Sabha would normally commence and expire on a particular date (and not on the date on which it completes five years from the date of its first sitting).

The department-related standing committee on law and personnel, which came out with a report on the 'Feasibility of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies' in December 2015 had cited the suggestions made by the EC on the issue.

"The terms of all State Legislative Assemblies should also normally come to an end on the date on which the term of the Lok Sabha is expiring. That may also mean, to begin with as a one-time measure, that the term for the existing Legislative Assemblies will have to be either extended beyond five years or curtailed so that fresh elections can be held simultaneously with Lok Sabha election," the report of the parliamentary panel had said citing EC's suggestions.

Difficulties in the process

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.

It would also require an additional number of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and VVPATs (paper trail machines), which would cost thousands of crores of rupees.

With the life of a machine only 15 years, this would imply that a machine would be used for about three or four times in its life span. They need to be replaced every 15 years.

Additional polling personnel and security forces would also be needed to hold the massive democratic exercise.

(With PTI inputs)