Friends, in the media there is one news which is being widely circulated and that is of ONE NATION ONE POLL (ONOP). What is it actually? Actually, it means when the country goes for the general elections (for the Lok Sabha), simultaneously the elections for State Assemblies should also be held.
The first General Elections were held in 1951/52 and at that time the elections for all the existing States Assemblies were also held together with the general elections. This happened again at the times of general elections in 1957 and 1962. However, the premature dissolution of certain State Assemblies in 1968 and 1969 broke the chain. In 1970, the 4th Lok Sabha was itself dissolved pre-maturely, and fresh General elections were held. Then the term of the 5th Lok Sabha was extended during emergency till 1977 under Article 352 (Emergency). Subsequent instances of dissolution of Lok Sabha and State Assemblies followed causing “ the cycle of simultaneous elections to be firmly disrupted”.
In 2014, when the BJP came to power, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had put aside approx Rs 3500 Cr to conduct elections, with Rs 46 being spent per voter, additionally all the Political Parties also spent money. If you compare this with 1951-53 when the ECI had spent just 6 paise per voter. It has been estimated that during the 2019 General Elections, the total cost per voter stood at Rs 700, which included expenses by the ECI and political parties, and the total stood at Rs 55,000 Cr. The government bears 100% cost of the Lok Sabha and 50% cost of the State Assembly elections and the balance of 50% is spent by the respective State governments.
However, ONOP not only involves practical challenges but also complex legal and constitutional considerations. The constitution prescribes fixed terms for various legislature bodies, making the harmonization of their election schedules a constitutional matter. Additionally, ONOP must navigate the intricacies of federalism, as it necessitates cooperation and consensus among States, each with its unique political dynamics and concerns.
Merits of ONOP
1 Cost Savings– Synchronising elections reduce the financial burden on the government, the electoral system, and political parties. This will result in significant cost savings.
2 Stable Governance– Simultaneous elections can lead to more stable and continuous governance by reducing the frequency of elections, allowing for better long-term planning and policy implementation.
3 Efficient Resource Allocation– Political Parties and candidates can allocate their resources, including time and manpower, more efficiently when elections are held together.
4 Reduced Voter Fatigue– With fewer election cycles, voters may experience less fatigue, leading to higher voter turnout and more informed participation in the electoral process.
5 Enhanced Policy Focus– Politicians and governments can focus more on governance and policy-making rather than being constantly preoccupied with election campaigning, potentially leading to better outcomes.
Demerits of ONOP
1 Logistical and Administrative Challenges– Coordinating elections across the entire nation can be a complex and resource-intensive task, leading to potential logistical and administrative challenges.
2 Constitutional and Legal Hurdles– Implementing simultaneous elections may require sufficient changes to the Indian constitution, which can be a lengthy and contentious process.
3 Impact on Regional Parties– Smaller or regional political parties may feel disadvantaged in a synchronized election cycle, as they may not have the resources or visibility to compete on the national level.
4 Reduced Accountability– Longer election cycles may reduce the frequency at which voters can hold governments accountable for their actions, potentially leading to complacency among elected representatives.
5 Vote Fatigue and Information Overload– Longer election cycles may lead to voter fatigue and reduced engagement, as voters may become overwhelmed by the volume of information by campaigns of both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
6 There is always a possibility that when both elections are held simultaneously, the national issues may upstage the state-level issues, which in turn may lead to national issues winning at both polls.
7 Voting Machines– There will be huge expenditure on procuring a large number of more voting machines, for the first time when both the elections are held together.
The concept of ONOP holds several legal problems/aspects in our democratic framework. ONOP requires significant constitutional amendments, as the Indian constitution mandates fixed terms for both Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. Aligning these terms to allow simultaneous election demands careful legal scrutiny and potential alterations. Secondly, States in India have varying political dynamics and concerns, and any move to synchronise elections must respect their autonomy and diverse interests. Now the question is whether states would willingly agree to harmonise their elections or if a more centralized approach would be imposed. Thirdly, whether the ECI have the capacity to hold simultaneously both Lok Sabha and State elections?
In the end, it is a good thought to have simultaneous elections which will reduce the cost of elections and also save time for all the concerned involved in the election process. But with the present political scenario where the regional parties are playing a big role in national-level politics, it will not be easy for the central government to bring about the changes for ONOP.
Waiting for your views on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
11th September 2023.