Is One Nation, One Election a DISASTER or MIRACLE for India? : Political strategy

One Nation One Election is a topic that has been making headlines in India lately. It is a proposal that suggests holding all state and national elections simultaneously. The idea is not new, as it was practiced in India from 1951 to 1967. However, it was disrupted due to political instability in the country.
In this article, we will discuss the historical context of simultaneous elections, the benefits of One Nation One Election, the challenges in the current election system, the financial implications of elections, and the impact on governance and security. We will also explore the opposition and criticism of this initiative. Finally, we will summarize the key takeaways from our discussion.

Understanding One Nation One Election

In India, there has been a lot of buzz about One Nation One Election. This proposal suggests that all state and national elections be held simultaneously. The idea is not new, as elections to the Lok Sabha and all state legislative assemblies were held simultaneously from 1951 to 1967. However, political instability led to a disruption of this system.
The current government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a special Parliament session to explore the possibility of implementing One Nation One Election. A committee headed by former President Ramnath Kovind explored this proposal on September 1, 2023. Political parties across the country have been divided on this issue, with some hailing it as a revolutionary policy, while others criticize it as an abuse of power and a BJP's secret instrument to win the 2024 elections.
According to a discussion paper by former members of Niti IO, Kishore Desai and Vivek Debroi, One Nation One Election has several benefits. Firstly, it will overcome the inefficiency of the Model Code of Conduct. The Model Code of Conduct is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India to regulate political parties and candidates prior to elections. During this time, no new development programs, welfare schemes, or capital projects can be initiated. This leads to a suspension of governance and development activities for several months, which hinders the country's progress.
Secondly, One Nation One Election is expected to help overcome the insane amount of election expenditure. The 2019 elections alone costed us 60,000 crores, making it the world's most expensive election. The cost of elections has been increasing at an alarming rate, and it is not just the Election Commission but also the candidates who spend a lot of money on their campaigns. If all state assembly and parliamentary elections were held together, it would significantly reduce the cost of conducting elections.
In conclusion, One Nation One Election is a proposal that has both supporters and critics. While it has several benefits, it also has its challenges. The government needs to carefully consider all aspects of this proposal before making any decisions.

Historical Context of Simultaneous Elections

As we all know, elections in India have been held separately for the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative assemblies since 1967 due to political turmoil. However, the proposal for "One Nation One Election" suggests holding these elections simultaneously, which was already practiced from 1951 to 1967 after the adoption of the Constitution. This proposal has been a topic of debate and controversy among political parties, with some hailing it as a revolutionary policy and others criticizing it as an abuse of power and a BJP's secret instrument to win the 2024 elections.
The government's call for a special Parliament session on September 1, 2023, explored the possibility of implementing this policy, with a committee headed by former president Ramnath Cohen. Amit Shah was also named as one of the panel members to work on this initiative.
Simultaneous elections offer several benefits, including overcoming the inefficiency of the Model Code of Conduct, which is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India to regulate political parties and candidates before elections. The model code of conduct suspends any new development programs, welfare schemes, or capital projects during the election period, which hinders the development of the country.
Moreover, simultaneous elections can help overcome the insane amount of election expenditure. The 2019 general elections alone costed India 60,000 crores, making it the world's most expensive election. The cost of elections is increasing at an alarming rate, and holding all the elections together can help reduce the expenditure.
In conclusion, simultaneous elections have been proposed as a solution to the inefficiency of the Model Code of Conduct and the increasing expenditure of elections. However, the implementation of this policy remains a topic of debate and controversy among political parties.

Benefits of One Nation One Election

As we have seen, the One Nation One Election proposal suggests that all state and national elections must be held simultaneously, which has several benefits:
Overcoming the inefficiency of the Model Code of Conduct: The Model Code of Conduct is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India to regulate political parties and candidates prior to elections. During this time, no new development programs, welfare schemes, or capital projects can be initiated. By holding all elections together, the government can avoid this inefficiency and ensure that development and governance activities are not hindered for a long period of time.
Reducing election expenditure: Elections in India are becoming increasingly expensive. In 2019, the Lok Sabha elections alone costed us 60,000 crores, making it the world's most expensive election. By holding all elections together, the government can reduce election expenditure significantly.
Streamlining election process: Holding all elections together can streamline the election process and reduce the burden on the Election Commission of India.
Minimizing political instability: Frequent elections in different states at different times can lead to political instability. By holding all elections together, the government can minimize political instability and ensure a stable government.
Overall, One Nation One Election has the potential to revolutionize the election process in India and bring about significant benefits.

Challenges in the Current Election System

As we know, India currently holds separate elections for the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative assemblies. These elections are held at different times since the respective five-year terms do not coincide with each other. However, the proposal for One Nation One Election suggests that all elections should be held simultaneously, where voters would cast their votes for both their state representatives and their National Representatives at the same time.
While this proposal has been hailed as a revolutionary policy by some, it has been criticized as an abuse of power and a BJP's secret instrument to win the 2024 elections by others. Despite the debate, there are several benefits to holding all the elections together. One of the main benefits is that India will overcome the inefficiency of the model code of conduct. The model code of conduct is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India to regulate political parties and candidates before the elections. During the code of conduct period, no new development program, welfare scheme, or capital project can be initiated. This leads to a suspension of governance and development activities for several months, hindering the country's progress.
Another challenge that One Nation One Election is expected to help overcome is the insane amount of election expenditure. Elections in India are becoming increasingly expensive, with the 2019 general election alone costing 60,000 crores. If all State Assembly elections and parliamentary elections were held together, it would significantly reduce the election expenditure and help the government allocate more funds towards development activities.
In conclusion, while there are debates surrounding the One Nation One Election proposal, it is clear that the current election system faces several challenges. Holding all elections together would help overcome these challenges and lead to a more efficient and cost-effective election process.

Financial Implications of Elections

As we know, elections in India are a costly affair. In 2019, the general elections alone costed us 60,000 crores, making it the world's most expensive election. Additionally, the model code of conduct, which is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India to regulate political parties and candidates prior to the elections, suspends all development programs, welfare schemes, and capital projects during the election period. This means that for four months, the government is simply not functioning to initiate any new projects at all.
The One Nation One Election initiative proposes to hold all the state elections and Lok Sabha elections simultaneously, which is not a new concept. This will help overcome the inefficiency of the model code of conduct and prevent the hindrance of the country's development. Moreover, it is expected to reduce the insane amount of election expenditure. If all state assembly elections and parliamentary elections were held together, the government could save a considerable amount of money. According to a discussion paper by former members of the Niti IO, between 2014 to 2017 alone, the government spent a total of 5313 crores in just conducting elections.
Overall, the One Nation One Election initiative has both pros and cons, and it is up to the government and the political parties to decide whether it is a revolutionary policy or an abuse of power.

Impact on Governance and Security

One Nation One Election initiative has the potential to bring several benefits to the Indian political system. Firstly, it will help overcome the inefficiency of the model code of conduct. The model code of conduct is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India to regulate political parties and candidates before elections. During the tenure of the code of conduct, no new development program, welfare scheme, or capital project can be initiated. This leads to a halt in the functioning of the government for several months.
Secondly, One Nation One Election can help overcome the insane amount of election expenditure. Elections in India are very costly, and the cost is increasing at an alarming rate. Conducting all state assembly elections and parliamentary elections together can help reduce the cost of elections. According to a discussion paper by former members of Niti IO, if all the elections were held together, the government could save a significant amount of money.
Moreover, One Nation One Election can help to reduce the security concerns during elections. Elections in India are often accompanied by violence, and the deployment of security personnel is a challenging task. Conducting all elections together can help reduce the security concerns and ensure smooth conduct of elections.
In conclusion, One Nation One Election initiative can bring several benefits to the Indian political system. It can help overcome the inefficiency of the model code of conduct, reduce election expenditure, and ensure smooth conduct of elections. However, it is essential to consider the concerns raised by political parties and ensure that the initiative is implemented in a fair and transparent manner.

Opposition and Criticism

As expected, the One Nation One Election initiative has faced criticism and opposition from various political parties. Rahul Gandhi has called it an attack on the Indian Union, while Kejriwal has opposed the move. The DMK has also been opposing this idea. On the other hand, the BJP has been supporting this initiative, with Amit Shah being named as one of the panel members to work on it.
The initiative has been criticized as an abuse of power and a secret instrument for the BJP to win the 2024 elections. Some political parties believe that this initiative will undermine the federal structure of the country and give an unfair advantage to the ruling party.
Moreover, the media channels have been debating on useless matters instead of actually explaining the logic of the subject. However, it is important to note that the One Nation One Election initiative is not a new concept. It was adopted after the Constitution, and elections to the Lok Sabha and All State Legislative assemblies were held simultaneously from 1951 till 1967.
In summary, while some parties hail it as a revolutionary policy, others criticize it as an abuse of power. The initiative has faced opposition from various political parties, and its implementation remains a topic of debate.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the One Nation One Election proposal in India suggests holding all state elections and Lok Sabha elections simultaneously. This is not a new concept and was followed from 1951 to 1967 until political instability disrupted it. The government's initiative to apply this strategy again has been met with mixed reactions from political parties. However, holding all elections together can overcome the inefficiency of the model code of conduct, which suspends all development programs and projects during the election period. Additionally, it can help reduce the insane amount of election expenditure, which has been increasing at an alarming rate. According to the discussion paper by former members of the Niti IO, if all state assembly and parliamentary elections were held together, it could save a considerable amount of money. Overall, the One Nation One Election proposal has both advantages and disadvantages, and it remains to be seen how it will shape India's political landscape in the future.