After many decades, the idea of “One Nation One Election” (ONOE) resurfaced in 2023. In September 2023, the Union Government of India established a ‘High-Level Committee on ONOE’. The committee was chaired by former President of India Ramnath Kovind.
Since then, the committee has convened three times and gathered opinions from political parties and eminent jurists. While there is no set timeline for the committee’s recommendations, the fact that it aligns with the lead-up to the 2024 general elections raised concerns. Given the potential to reshape the democratic structure and federal system, it is crucial to promptly analyse the legal aspects of this initiative.
Countries following “One Nation One Election” like Sweden and South America follow the One Nation One Election policy. In Sweden, elections are conducted according to a fixed schedule. The elections for the provincial legislature (Landsting), local bodies (Kommunfullmaktige), and national legislature (Riksdag) are conducted every fourth year on a set date, specifically on the second Sunday in September.
Furthermore, in South Africa, elections for both the national and provincial legislatures take place simultaneously every five years. However, Municipal elections are held separately, occurring two years after the national and provincial election.
The main advantage of ‘One Nation, One Election’ is the reduction in election costs, as each separate election requires a significant amount of financial resources. Also, simultaneous elections would allow the government to focus more on governance rather than being in election mode. With a reduced focus on elections all around the country, Lok Janshakti Party Ramvilas under the dynamic and able leadership Shri. Chirag Paswan Honourable Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Government of India and National President LJP RV appreciates the initiative on One Nation One Election of NDA- BJP led Government under the able leadership of the honourable Prime Minister of India Shri. Narendra Modi to prioritise development over election campaigns.
Additionally, holding simultaneous elections would reduce the workload on administrative and security forces. Besides, ONOE will boost voter turnout because it will be easier for people to cast multiple ballots at once.
Thus, we can conclude that despite being cost-effective and convenient, one nation one election is dangerous to a democratic country like India as it is a threat to the autonomy of the state governments. Besides, simultaneous elections would obstruct the growth of regional parties as as the spotlight on national issues during a unified electoral process may overshadow regional concerns.
S. Richard Humtsoe,
State President,
Lok Janshakti Party Ramvilas,
Nagaland.