Former President Appointed to Lead Panel Exploring ‘One Nation, One Election’ Concept

A committee, headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, has been formed to examine the feasibility of implementing a ‘One Nation, One Election’ system in India. This move marks a significant step forward in a long-debated proposal that has been the subject of discussion by multiple panels.

The announcement of this committee comes shortly after the government declared a special session of Parliament from September 18 to 22, without disclosing the agenda. Speculation has arisen that a bill related to ‘one nation, one election’ might be introduced during this session, although no official confirmation has been made by the government.

‘One nation, one election’ entails the simultaneous conduct of Lok Sabha (national) and state assembly elections across the entire country, a practice that was commonplace in India until 1967 when it was discontinued due to the premature dissolution of some state assemblies in 1968-69. The Lok Sabha was also dissolved a year ahead of schedule in 1970, leading to mid-term elections in 1971.

The BJP, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has voiced support for the idea of simultaneous elections on multiple occasions. This concept was also part of the BJP’s manifesto for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

In their 2014 Lok Sabha Election Manifesto, the BJP pledged to explore a method for holding assembly and Lok Sabha elections concurrently. They emphasized that this would reduce election expenses for both political parties and the government while providing stability for state governments.

PM Modi has argued that frequent elections place a burden on the nation’s resources and disrupt governance. In 2016, he expressed his views on simultaneous elections, and after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he convened an all-party meeting to discuss the matter, which was not attended by several opposition parties.

Reacting to the establishment of the committee, Communist Party of India General Secretary D Raja stated that the BJP appears obsessed with the idea of ‘one nation, one party.’ He noted that the proposal for ‘one nation, one election’ has been a topic of discussion for several years and criticized the BJP’s approach to various aspects of governance.

Raja also expressed concerns about the diminishing role of parliament in the country’s democracy and questioned the purpose of the special parliamentary session called by the government. He suggested that the BJP’s actions might be influenced by the united front formed by opposition parties under the INDIA banner.