Concept of “One Nation, One Election”

Prospects:

1. Cost Efficiency: Conducting simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and State Legislatures could significantly reduce the financial burden on the government and taxpayers. For instance, the 2024 General Elections are estimated to cost around ₹50,000 crore, while simultaneous elections could cut these costs substantially.
2. Administrative Convenience: A unified election schedule could streamline electoral processes, reduce the administrative burden on the Election Commission, and minimize election-related disruptions. The 2019 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections saw numerous logistical challenges that could be mitigated by simultaneous elections.
3. Policy Continuity: Simultaneous elections could ensure greater stability and continuity in governance, as frequent elections often lead to policy disruptions. For example, states like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu face multiple elections at different times, affecting governance stability.

Limitations:

1. Federal Structure Issues: India’s diverse and federal nature means that regional issues and local governance priorities might get overshadowed by national agendas. This was evident during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, where national issues dominated over state-specific concerns.
2. Constitutional and Legal Challenges: Implementing simultaneous elections would require significant amendments to the Constitution and changes in election laws. For instance, aligning terms of state assemblies with the Lok Sabha’s five-year term involves complex legislative changes.
3. Logistical Challenges: Coordinating simultaneous elections across various states with different electoral requirements could be logistically challenging. The 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections faced substantial challenges due to logistical constraints and security issues.

Conclusion: While the concept of “One Nation, One Election” offers potential benefits in terms of cost and efficiency, it also presents significant challenges related to federalism, constitutional amendments, and logistics. Careful consideration and planning are essential to address these limitations while exploring the concept’s feasibility.