One Nation One Poll: Law Commission’s Report Due Next Week

The Law Commission of India is set to submit its report on the feasibility and desirability of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies next week. The report will be submitted to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice and a high-level committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind, who is studying the proposal of ‘One Nation, One Poll’.

What is One Nation One Poll?

One Nation One Poll is the idea of conducting simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and all state assemblies at one go, instead of holding them separately as per the existing practice. The proponents of this idea argue that it would save time, money and resources, reduce the burden on the election machinery, ensure policy continuity and governance, and avoid frequent imposition of the model code of conduct.

The model code of conduct is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India for the conduct of political parties and candidates during elections mainly with respect to speeches, polling booths, polling day conduct, election manifestos, processions and general conduct. It aims to ensure free and fair elections and prevent any undue influence on voters.

According to a report by News18 on January 21, 2024, a top source in the Law Commission said, “The report has addressed all concerns related to Constitutional amendments. We have worked out a formula to synchronise all assembly polls by extending or reducing the tenure so that they can be held along with the Lok Sabha polls from 2029.”

What are the challenges?

The main challenge for implementing One Nation One Poll is the need for Constitutional amendments to synchronise the terms of all state assemblies with the Lok Sabha. This would require either curtailing or extending the tenure of some state assemblies, which may not be acceptable to all political parties. Moreover, there are practical difficulties such as availability of adequate security forces, electronic voting machines and voter verifiable paper audit trail machines for conducting such a massive exercise. There are also concerns about federalism, democracy and diversity, as simultaneous polls may reduce the importance of regional issues and parties, and favour national parties with more resources and visibility.

The New Indian Express quoted a senior official in the law ministry as saying on September 26, 2023, “The development comes amid the buzz that a high-level committee led by former president Ram Nath Kovind on ‘One Nation, One Poll’ may submit its report to the Union government in February or March ahead of the 2024 general elections.”

What are the recommendations?

According to sources, the Law Commission will recommend a phased rollout of simultaneous polls by 2029, starting with some states that are due for elections in 2024 along with the Lok Sabha. The Commission will suggest a formula to align the terms of all state assemblies with the Lok Sabha by extending or reducing their tenure as per a predetermined schedule. The Commission will also address the issues related to Constitutional amendments, no-confidence motions, dissolution of assemblies, by-elections and other legal aspects of holding simultaneous polls.

The report is expected to be considered by the Kovind panel, which will make its final recommendations to the government on this significant electoral reform.

How will this affect India’s economy?

One of the main arguments in favour of One Nation One Poll is that it will have a positive impact on India’s economy by reducing the costs associated with holding separate elections for Lok Sabha and state assemblies. According to some estimates, a whopping Rs 60,000 crore was spent on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections alone. Holding simultaneous polls would also save public money spent on deploying security forces and election officials multiple times in different states. Moreover, it would enable faster implementation of policies and programmes by avoiding policy paralysis and frequent disruptions caused by election campaigns and code of conduct. However, some experts have also cautioned that holding simultaneous polls may not necessarily lead to economic growth or development as there are many other factors that influence these outcomes.