The Idea of One-Nation, One-Election: Its Potential Risk and Significance for India

Abstract

The subject of synchronizing elections to the House of the People and State Legislative
Assemblies has been the subject of extensive debate for a considerable period. Simultaneous
elections, in the commonly understood meaning, refer to the occurrence of elections for the
three tiers of Constitutional institutions, namely the House of the People (Lok Sabha), State
Assemblies (Vidhan Sabha), and Local bodies, in a coordinated and synchronized manner.
This implies that a voter has the ability to cast their vote for the election of representatives
across all levels of government concurrently. The presence of an electoral commission is
necessary for the supervision of the election processes pertaining to the President and Vice
President, Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha, legislative committees, state assemblies, district
assemblies, and panchayats. A significant portion of the committee’s allocated time was
dedicated to the tasks of tallying the ballots, verifying the voter registry, and delineating the
constituencies. The India’s constitution established a quasi-federal framework. Both the
Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha mandate the conduct of elections to select their
respective members. For this purpose, the Union Government has officially announced the
formation of an eight-member high-level committee, with former President Ram Nath
Kovind serving as its chairperson. The committee’s primary objective is to thoroughly assess
and provide recommendations regarding the feasibility and implementation of conducting
synchronized elections for the Lok Sabha, state Assemblies, and local authorities. The current
study examines the potential risk and significance associated with the implementation of the
‘One Nation-One Election’ concept in India.