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The Union Cabinet unanimously approved the ‘one nation, one

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election’ proposal

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• The Union Cabinet has accepted the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on

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One Nation, One Election (ONOE), chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
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What are Simultaneous Elections?
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• Simultaneous Elections (One Nation One Election) refer to the idea of holding Lok

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Sabha, State legislative assembly and local bodies elections together, with the aim of

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reducing the frequency of elections and their associated costs.
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• Simultaneous elections in India to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies were
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held in the years 1951-52, 1957, 1962 and 1967.

• Thereafter, the schedule could not be maintained and the elections to the Lok Sabha and
the State legislative assembly have still not been realigned.
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Recommendations of the Committee on Simultaneous Election

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• Opting Step wise Process:

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According to the panel, Simultaneous polls to Lok

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Sabha and state assembly elections can be held in the 1st step, followed by local

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body (municipal and panchayat) polls within 100 days in the second step.
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• In case of hung House, No-confidence motion, fresh elections could be held
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only for the remaining term of the immediately preceding full term of the House.

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• Constitution Amendments Needed: For holding simultaneous elections, the
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committee had recommended 15 amendments to the Constitution of
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India. Important amendments include:
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Article 82A will establish the process by which the country will move to a
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system of simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and state Assemblies.
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Ratification of states not required (Special Majority Article 368 - Total >
50% + Present & Voting > 2/3 ): The panel has recommended amendments
to Article 83 (duration of Houses of Parliament) and Article 172 (duration of
State legislatures) of the Constitution.
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Ratification of states required (Special Majority - Article 368 + 50% State

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ratification): The panel also recommended amendments to Constitution which

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requires ratification by the States (New articles will be placed in constitution) -

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Article 324A of the Constitution to allow simultaneous elections in

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panchayats and municipalities.

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Article 325 to allow the Election Commission of India (ECI), in consultation

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with State election authorities, to prepare a common electoral roll and voter ID

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cards.(Single Electoral Role and Election ID)

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Synchronisation of Elections: To

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synchronise the elections, the committee has

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suggested that the President, through a notification issued on the first sitting of the Lok
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Sabha post general elections, set an ‘Appointed Date’.
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• This date would mark the beginning of the new electoral cycle.
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• Under the proposed Article 82A, all state assemblies elected in any general election

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held after the "appointed date" will conclude at the end of the Lok Sabha's full term,
regardless of whether they have completed their five-year term or not.
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Arguments In Favour of One Nation One Election
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• Reduced Expenditure: It will reduce the huge expenditure incurred for conducting
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separate elections every year.

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• Streamlined Process: Managing one election cycle is logistically simpler than
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conducting multiple elections at different times. This can lead to more efficient use of
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administrative resources.
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• The problem of frequent elections leads to imposition of Model Code of Conduct (MCC)

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over prolonged periods of time which affects the normal governance. Simultaneous

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elections can overcome such issues.
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• The focus on governance will increase, instead of being constantly in election mode.

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• Direct Accountability: With simultaneous elections, voters can hold parties accountable
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for both central and state governance at the same time, making it clearer how local and
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national policies impact their lives.

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Arguments Against One Nation One Election
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• Logistical Challenges: All states and the central government face massive logistical
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challenges including coordinating the schedules, resources etc.

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• Local Priorities: It may help the dominant national party at the cost of regional parties
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and regions issues can be overshadowed by the national issues.
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• Complex Reforms Needed: Implementing simultaneous elections would require

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significant constitutional amendments and changes to existing electoral laws, posing legal

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complexities.

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Previous Recommendations on Simultaneous Elections
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• The 21st Law Commission set up in 2018 proposed that simultaneous elections

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would yield several benefits, including cost savings for the public, alleviation of strain on

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administrative structures and security forces etc.

• Department related Parliamentary Standing committee on Personnel, Public
grievances, Law and justice: In its 79th report, it had recommended an alternative and
practicable method of holding simultaneous elections.
• NITI Aayog: A NITI Aayog's 2017 Paper advocated the idea of conducting simultaneous
elections for effective governance by reducing the frequent election cycle.