One Nation, One Election: Consultation time has begun

The idea of state and central polls being held in sync has its pros and cons that need careful examination

- KRISHANGI SINHA & SANJAY KUMAR

Earlier this year, a nine-member committee led by former president Ram Nath Kovind presented an 18,626-page report recommending simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha elections, popularly being referred to as 'One Nation, One Election'. It also recommended local body elections within 100 days of Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

There have been recent debates around the proposed One Nation, One Election bill, officially titled The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment Bill), 2024. If the bill is passed, voters across the country would be able to cast their votes to elect both levels of government (state and national) on the same day. The Union Territories Laws (Amendment Bill), 2024, would align the elections of the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry and NCT of Delhi.

Through this reform, the government hopes to streamline governance, reduce election expenses and minimize disruptions in governance caused by frequent elections. Interestingly, this isn't a new idea. Simultaneous elections were held in India up till two decades after independence—from 1952 to 1967. However, due to political instability, the premature dissolution of state assemblies and a change in the country's political fabric, the system of holding elections together was disrupted.