Need for One Nation Many Election

Source-This post on Need for One Nation Many Election has been created based on the article “One nation, many elections” published in “Business Standard” on 1 June 2024.

UPSC Syllabus–GS Paper-2– Salient Features of the Representation of People’s Act.

Context– The Prime Minister has proposed the idea of “one nation, one election” as an antidote to the prolonged election process. The Home Minister has assured the public that this system will be introduced by the new Parliament.

The article provides arguments against the adoption of a one nation one election system. Instead, it stresses the significance of creating a consensus for more effective Panchayati Raj and limiting the number of phases in national elections.

What are the issues with India’s Long Election Process?

1) India’s lengthy general election campaign is tedious and exhausting.

2) Lack of opinion polls prior to the election resulted in speculative discussions and fluctuations in the stock markets.

3) The enforcement of model code of conduct for a prolonged period limits policymaking and legislation significantly and doesn’t effectively control powerful campaigners from using too much rhetoric.

What are the arguments against the adoption of One Nation, One Election system?

1) Multiple levels of government and elections are more effective in addressing different governance issues and extracting accountability from their representatives. Voters should have issues to vote on and representatives who can address those issues locally.

2) Voters have no problems with the option to vote differently for state assemblies and Parliament, understanding the distinct skills and policy needs. A single election would remove this ability to send specific messages about policy preferences.

3) It will deprive the voters the right to assess the state governments based on their individual performance. The state government should not be viewed merely as an extension of the ruling party at the national level.

4) The democratic process provides a platform for people to express their various identities, such as locality, caste, religion, language, and nationhood. Multiple elections at different levels of government allow for the full expression of these identities, contributing to peace and unity.
However, replacing frequent elections with one could worsen identity clashes, turning politics into an all-or-nothing contest, which is not in anyone’s interest.

A detailed article on one nation one election can be read here.

What should be the way forward?

Need for Strengthening Local Governance-There is a need to enhance the significance of local elections in India to align them with the standards observed in other nations.

A) There should be more devolution of powers to local bodies by the state governments.

B) A more perfect democracy requires an active third layer of governance with regular, meaningful local elections.

C) If public services like roads and drainage fail, citizens should be able to vote out the person in charge at the local level.

Calls for a single election are understandable after a long and tedious campaign. However, the new Parliament should not be distracted by unnecessary and counterproductive changes to the electoral system.

Question for practice

What are the arguments against one nation one election system? How can empowerment of local bodies deepen the roots of democracy in India?