Model Answer

Challenges in Election Funding in India

Election funding in India is governed by various laws like the Representatives of People Act (1951) and the Income Tax Act (1961), but it faces several issues:

1. Lack of Transparency: Political parties are not required to disclose the sources of their funds. Despite a ruling from the Central Information Commission (CIC) in 2013, parties continue to evade transparency laws by claiming autonomy (Source: ADR Report).
2. Unregulated Party Expenditure: While there are limits on candidate expenditures, political parties themselves face no such cap, leading to disproportionate spending and influence during elections.
3. Electoral Bonds: Electoral bonds allow anonymous donations, strengthening the connection between corporate entities and political parties, raising concerns over transparency and accountability.
4. Uneven Playing Field: Parties with access to more financial resources can dominate elections, often using money and muscle power, undermining fairness in elections.

Measures to Address Election Funding Challenges

1. Transparent Funding: Implementing strict rules to cap anonymous donations and ensuring full disclosure of donors’ details to be publicly available (Source: ADR Report).
2. RTI Compliance for Political Parties: The Central Information Commission’s 2013 ruling should be enforced, making political parties public authorities under the RTI Act for better accountability.
3. State Funding of Elections: The 1999 Law Commission recommended state funding for elections to reduce reliance on private donations, thus reducing corruption and undue influence.
4. Electoral Reforms: Introducing caps on corporate donations, regulating political party operations, and ensuring the auditing of party accounts by independent auditors are crucial steps.
5. Strengthening Election Commission’s Role: The Election Commission should have more powers to penalize or de-recognize non-compliant political parties, ensuring fairer practices.

By addressing these issues, election funding can be made more transparent and equitable.

Model Answer

Simultaneous elections, or the “One Nation, One Election” (ONOE) concept, can bring several benefits to India’s governance. The primary advantages are discussed below:

Focus on Development Programs

Simultaneous elections would reduce the frequent imposition of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), which often hampers ongoing developmental activities. By minimizing election-related disruptions, governments could focus more on long-term governance and development rather than managing electoral processes continuously.

Administrative Efficiency

Holding elections together would lead to significant administrative efficiency. During separate elections, millions of personnel, such as security forces and teachers, are deployed to manage polling booths. For example, the 2019 Lok Sabha elections saw the deployment of over 20 lakh security personnel. By holding elections simultaneously, these resources could focus on their primary duties, improving overall administrative functionality.

Cost Savings

Simultaneous elections would rationalize the expenditure on logistics and infrastructure. In 2024, the government planned to spend over Rs. 5000 crore on Lok Sabha elections alone. By consolidating national and state elections, this cost could be minimized and redirected toward developmental projects, promoting better governance.

Enhanced Voter Turnout

Simultaneous elections can increase voter participation, as voters would be able to cast ballots for both national and state representatives at the same time. This was evidenced in 1999 when elections in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh saw an 11.5% increase in voter turnout due to simultaneous elections.

Mitigating Disruptions

Frequent elections often disrupt public life and services. Holding simultaneous elections would minimize such disruptions, ensuring that essential services remain unaffected during electoral periods.

Challenges to Simultaneous Elections

Despite these benefits, challenges persist. National elections could overshadow regional concerns, diminishing the focus on local issues. Furthermore, if a government falls before completing its 5-year term, synchronizing the next election would be complicated. Political accountability could also suffer, as representatives would face elections only once every five years, reducing the frequency of public feedback.

In conclusion, if the challenges of synchronization and regional concerns can be addressed, simultaneous elections have the potential to foster stable and development-oriented governance in India.

Model Answer

Introduction

The proposal for simultaneous elections, or “One nation, one election,” has recently sparked renewed discussions in India, with the formation of a high-level committee to assess its feasibility. While simultaneous elections could reduce election expenses and time, there are concerns about their potential impact on government accountability.

Simultaneous Elections: Benefits of Reduced Time and Cost:

1. Cost Savings for Election Commission:
   Conducting simultaneous elections would minimize the frequency of elections, leading to significant cost savings for the Election Commission due to pooled resources and reduced logistics.
   • Example: The 2019 general elections, with 610 political parties, cost around ₹60,000 crore, significantly higher than past elections.
2. Lower Expenditure for Political Parties:
   Political parties would spend less on campaigning and mobilization, potentially reducing the role of money in politics and promoting a fairer electoral process.
3. Reduced Economic Disruption:
   Frequent elections often disrupt economic activities, particularly in terms of government and public sector resources. Fewer elections would ensure smoother governance and policy implementation.
4. Enhanced Governance Efficiency:
   With fewer elections, governments would have more time for long-term policy planning and execution, improving national development coordination.

Risks: Weakened Government Accountability

1. Focus Shift from Local Issues:
   Simultaneous elections could overshadow state-specific issues and lead to the dominance of national concerns, weakening the focus on local governance and regional needs.
2. Less Frequent Voter Assessment:
   Holding elections less frequently could reduce the opportunities for voters to assess and hold governments accountable for their performance, affecting the dynamic of public feedback and responsiveness.
3. Erosion of Democratic Values:
   Reduced frequency of elections may prevent citizens from expressing their views regularly, weakening the core of democratic processes and public participation.
4. Regional Parties Marginalized:
   National parties with more resources could gain an unfair advantage, eroding the influence of regional parties and potentially leading to a two-party system.
5. Strain on the Election Commission:
   Organizing simultaneous elections across India would overburden the Election Commission, raising concerns about its capacity and ultimately reducing the executive’s accountability to the people.

Conclusion

Simultaneous elections, while offering cost and time benefits, may risk undermining government accountability. Balancing efficiency with democratic integrity is crucial, and the Ram Nath Kovind High-Level Committee’s examination of the feasibility must address these concerns comprehensively.