Context: Prime Minister again raised the pitch for “One Nation, One Election” and a single voter list for all polls in order to prevent the impact of the model code of conduct on development works every few months due to frequent spread-out polls.

• “One Nation, One Election' isn’t just an issue of deliberation but also a need of the country.
• Elections are held at different places every few months and it hampers the developmental work.
• Therefore, it’s a must to have a deep study and deliberation on ‘One Nation, One Election’.
• Only one voter list should be used for Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha and other elections.
• It will reduce wastage of time, energy and money.

Coordination is key

• Emphasising need for coordination between all three wings of the state -- Legislature, Executive and Judiciary, verything, from their role to their decorum, was described in the Constitution itself.
• “In the 1970s, we saw how there was an attempt to breach the dignity of separation of power, but the country got the answer only from the Constitution.
• After that period of Emergency, the system of checks and balances became stronger and stronger.
• The legislature, the executive and the judiciary, all three, learned a lot from that period and moved forward.
• “Constitution is our guiding light to take on challenges in the 21st century, and national interest should be our basis for every decision”.

Pros and cons of “One Nation. One Election”

Pros

• Reduce enormous economic costs that are otherwise incurred in conducting elections, separately and takes a bit off the back of the exchequer.
• It provides the parties in power to be a lot more bandwidth to be focussed on good governance for the welfare of the people rather than to be held in the loop of constant elections.
• The Law Commission also predicts a large boost in the voter turnout if this idea were to come about.

Cons

• Issues at the centre and the state level are often found to be a lot different from each other and hence calls for a unique modus operando at both levels.
• It has been proposed that the judgment of the voters is likely to get affected if the state and national polls were to held simultaneously mainly because of the fundamental difference between national and state issues.
• One of the most important tools for good governance as enshrined in our constitution is that of accountability.
• To have the political parties to be held in the loop of elections constantly will incentivise them to be a lot more accountable and actively work and contribute for the welfare of the people.
• In order to conduct the elections at the state and the centre in tandem, President’s rule might have to be imposed for a certain period in the concerned state which would go against the ideals of democracy and federalism.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/one-nation-one-election-need-of-india-says-pm-modi/article33183867.ece?homepage=true

Download PDF