One Nation, One Election Bill

Posted 22 Jan 2025

Updated 24 Jan 2025

5 min read

Why in the news?

The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, introduced to give effect to "One Nation One Election" referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Key Provisions of the Bills

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 proposes amendments and new article to enable simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.

Articles Amended

Article 82A inserted

Article 83 (Amendment): Duration of Houses of Parliament.
- The Bill proposes adding new clauses so that if Lok Sabha is dissolved before the end of its full term, the next Lok Sabha will only be for the unexpired term.
- Another proposed sub-clause clarifies that the new House (formed after the mid-term election) will not be a continuation of the old one.
Article 172 (Amendment): Duration of State Legislatures.
- Amendments similar to those proposed to Article 83 are proposed to Article 172.
Article 327 (Amendment): Power of Parliament to make provision with respect to elections to Legislatures.
- After the words "delimitation of constituencies", the words ", conduct of simultaneous elections" shall be inserted

Simultaneous Elections: It refers to general elections for both the Lok Sabha and all Legislative Assemblies held together.
Appointed Date: The President can bring into force the proposed changes on the date of the first sitting of the Lok Sabha.
- All state Assemblies elected after the appointed date and before the expiry of the full term of the Lok Sabha "shall come to an end on the expiry of the full term of the House of the People".
Election Commission's Powers: If it opinion that state election cannot be conducted with Lok sabha election, it may make a recommendation to the President, to declare by an order, that the election to that Legislative Assembly may be conducted at a later date
If an Assembly election is deferred, the full term of that Assembly will also end with the full term of the Lok Sabha elected in the general election.
EC will declare the end date of each Legislative Assembly's term when notifying its election schedule.

The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024: It proposes to amendment to the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, and Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 to align the term of UT's Legislative Assembly with the Lok Sabha.

About Simultaneous Elections

Simultaneous Elections (popularly known as One Nation, One Election) means holding elections to the House of the People, all the State Legislative Assemblies, and local bodies i.e., Municipalities and Panchayats, together
- Local bodies are not included in the bill.
- Simultaneous elections do not mean that voting across the country for all elections needs to happen on a single day.
Previously, a high-level committee, headed by former President Shri Ram Nath Kovind, recommended a roadmap for holding simultaneous polls to Parliament, State Assemblies, and Local bodies.

The image summarizes recommendations by various institutions on simultaneous elections in India, including aligning Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections. Suggestions include phased synchronization, delaying results, and adjusting election timings through advancing or postponing.

Need for Simultaneous Elections:

Financial Burden: Conducting simultaneous elections could significantly cut down the financial costs associated with multiple election cycles.
- This model reduces the expenditure related to the deployment of resources like manpower, equipment, and security for each individual election.
Economic Impact: Asynchronous elections cause uncertainty and instability, thwarting supply chains, business investments and economic growth.
Disruption to Governance and policy paralysis: Frequent imposition of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) causes policy paralysis and slows down the pace of the developmental programmes.
Voter Participation Challenges: Staggered elections induce 'voters' fatigue' and present a significant challenge in ensuring their participation.
Operational Efficiency and Resource Optimization: Simultaneous elections would reduce the number of election-related offences and disputes and lessen the burden on courts.

Issues Involved in Simultaneous Elections

Constitutional Challenges: Imposing of President's Rule could be misused to maintain synchronization.
Logistical Challenges: India's vast electorate of over 96 crore electors (2024) requires over one million polling booths and significant security resources.
- Conducting simultaneous elections could strain administrative capacity.
Concerns Regarding Federalism: Constitutional Amendments concerning the term of the state legislative assemblies under Article 172 can be carried out without ratification by states.
- Thus, opinion and say of States is reduced.
Impact on Voter Behavior: Simultaneous elections may lead to a "nationalization" of local issues, with voters prioritizing national parties over regional concerns, weakening the voice of smaller parties.
Legal and Parliamentary Requirements: Amendments to multiple constitutional provisions (e.g., Articles 83, 172, 327) and changes to the Representation of the People Act, 1951 are required.
Political accountability: Frequent elections hold lawmakers accountable, while fixed terms may provide unwarranted stability without performance scrutiny challenging democratic principles.

Conclusion

Simultaneous Elections presents both potential benefits and challenges. While it could enhance political stability, reduce election-related expenses, and improve governance, concerns remain regarding logistical feasibility, potential for political manipulation, and the impact on smaller parties and regional considerations. Careful planning and a robust democratic framework are crucial for successful implementation.