“ONE NATION

ONE
ELECTION”
WHAT IS “ONE NATION
ONE ELECTION”????

A policy proposal to conduct

elections for the Lok Sabha
and all State Assemblies
simultaneously to streamline
the electoral process.
WHAT IS THE NEED
FOR SIMULTANEOUS
ELECTIONS IN
INDIA??
 GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT
1. Frequent elections delay development programs due to the
Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

2. Frequent elections affect economic growth,

investment decisions and opportunity cost of deferred
economic decisions.

3. Conducting elections to all three tiers of the

Government together would avoid disruption of supply
chains and production cycles due to migrant workers seeking
leave of absence to cast their vote.
• High financial burden: Holding simultaneous elections
would reduce the massive expenditure incurred for conduct of
separate elections every year.
• Diversion of human resources: Such as security forces and
other electoral officers (like Teachers) from their primary
duties for significantly prolonged periods will be decreased.
• Reducing the burden on courts: Fewer elections mean fewer
election-related disputes, reducing the workload on courts.
• Reducing identity politics: Frequent elections use identity
politics, like caste and class stirring division and disrupting
societal cohesion.
• Voter participation: Staggered elections induce 'voters'
fatigue' and present a significant challenge in ensuring their
participation.
IS THIS THE FIRST TIME??

• In India, simultaneous
elections to the Lok Sabha and
Vidhan Sabhas were held in
the years 1951-52, 1957, 1962
and 1967.

• This cycle was disrupted due

to premature dissolution of
State Assemblies in 1968-69
and of the Lok Sabha in 1970.
VARIOUS REPORTS THAT
SUPPORTED SIMULTANEOUS
ELECTIONS
• 170th report of Law Commission Of
India
• National Commission to review the
working of Constitution,2002.
• Parliamentary standing Committee
Report,2015.
• Working Paper of NITIAYOG in 2017.
HIGH LEVEL COMMITTEE
On 2 September 2023, the Government of India issued a
notification constituting a high-level committee to examine the
issue of simultaneous elections under the chairmanship of
former President of India Ram Nath Kovind.
•Amit Shah, Union Home Minister
•Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Law Minister
•Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, parliamentary leader of the INC(the largest
•party in the Opposition) in Lok Sabha
•Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha
•NK Singh, Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission
•Dr Subhash C Kashyap, former Secretary General of Lok Sabha
•Harish Salve, senior advocate of the Supreme Court
•Sanjay Kothari, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner
On 14th March 2024The Highlevel Committee on Simultaneous Elections
constituted under the Chairmanship of Shri Ram Nath Kovind, former President of
India, met the Hon’ble President of India, Shrimati Droupadi Murmu, and
submitted its Report.The Report, comprising 18,626 pages, is an outcome of
extensive consultations with stakeholders, experts and research work of 191 days,
since its constitution on 2 September, 2023.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF HIGH-LEVEL COMMITTEE ON SIMULTANEOUS ELECTIONS

Synchronization of Elections: Elections to be held in two phases

• First phase: Conduct Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assembly elections
simultaneously.
• Second phase: Conduct local body elections (Panchayats and Municipalities)
within 100 days of general elections.

Constitutional Amendments proposed: The high-level committee had proposed

amendments to three Articles, insertion of 12 new sub-clauses in the existing articles and
tweaking three laws related to Union Territories having legislative assemblies.
• Insert Article 82A
• Amendment of Article 83 (Duration of Houses of Parliament) and Article 172
(Duration of State Legislatures)
• Introduction of Article 324A
Single electoral roll: To be prepared by the Election Commission of India in consultation with
the State Election Commission(s) by amending Article 325.
• As it includes amending State subjects (Local Government) in the 7th Schedule, Part IX,
and Part IXA of the Constitution of India, ratification by the States required under Article
368(2).
Need for ratification by states: The Committee observed that constitutional amendments in
relation to terms of Parliament and state assemblies will not require ratification by states.
However, constitutional amendments in relation to local bodies will be required to be passed
with ratification by at least half of the states.
Making Logistical arrangements for conduction of Simultaneous Elections
• For elections to the House of the People and State Legislative Assemblies:
The Election Commission of India will draw a plan for advanced estimation of
procurement of EVMs/VVPATs, deployment of polling personnel, security forces etc.
• For elections to Municipalities and Panchayats: The State Election Commission(s) in
consultation with the ECI, will draw a plan for the logistical requirements.
Constitution of an Implementation Group to monitor the execution of the process.
CHALLENGES AND COMPLEXITIES OF SIMULTANEOUS ELECTIONS:

• Overshadowing regional issues: Conducting elections simultaneously to the Lok

Sabha and all State assemblies would result in national issues overshadowing regional
and State specific issues.
• Impact on the Regional parties: Simultaneous elections may create a system where
National political parties would have a significant advantage over regional parties.
• Political accountability: Frequent elections hold lawmakers accountable, while fixed
terms may provide unwarranted stability without performance scrutiny challenging
democratic principles.
• Concerns Regarding Federalism: Constitutional Amendments concerning the term of
the state legislative assemblies under Article 172 can be carried out without
ratification by states. Thus, opinion and say of States is reduced.
• Logistical Issues: Organizing ONOE would require significant resources, including a
vast supply of electronic voting machines and trained personnel to oversee the
process.
ONE NATION ONE ELECTION BILL
Recent Developments:
• December 17, 2024: The bill was introduced in the Lok
Sabha, India's lower house of Parliament. In a division vote,
269 members supported the bill, while 198 opposed it.
• Post-Introduction: Following its introduction, the Lok Sabha
adopted a resolution to refer the bill to a Joint Parliamentary
Committee (JPC) for detailed examination. The JPC comprises
39 members: 27 from the Lok Sabha and 12 from the Rajya
Sabha (the upper house).
ONE NATION ONE ELECTION BILL
Next Steps:
The JPC will review the bill, consult stakeholders, and
submit its recommendations to Parliament. For the
bill to become law, it must be passed by a two-thirds
majority in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha,
followed by ratification from at least half of the state
legislatures, as it involves constitutional
amendments.
 WHETHER IT IS
“ONE NATION-ONE ELECTION”
OR
“ONE NATION-MANY ELECTIONS”

WHAT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS

A CITIZEN OF THIS COUNTRY TO
STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACY???
THANK YOU