Abstract
The article questions whether elections in India can be held concurrently or as a Single, Nationwide Election. From 1951 to 1967, four Lok Sabha elections were conducted and it was thought that the results were random and unpredictable. However, this belief vanished after state assemblies and Parliament were disbanded prematurely. This explains why the debate is being held again, initiated by a Committee chaired by Ram Nath Kovind and backed by public opinion and the support of various politicians. It is believed, then, that these polls may help save money on elections, allow governments to function, ensure good administration, make the environment cleaner, and speed up policy creation. To prove it can be done, examples from the 2024 Lok Sabha Germany and South Africa are presented in the article. However, the authors do highlight the roadblocks in the constitution, impacts on federalism, lowered accountability, and deterioration of regional parties. In addition, the hard copy involves arranging a lot of EVMs and deciding on security measures. In summary, the approach they like the most is to begin with local body elections, depending on an amendment to the constitution. The article, in the end, considers whether holding all elections at the same time is a simple solution or a tough choice between democracy and streamlining the election process.
KEYWORDS – Nationwide election, Lok Sabha elections, Federalism, EVMs, Democracy
Introduction
Think of a nation as vast as India, where all the voters are coming together for polls on a single day, where elections from the national level down to local bodies are synchronized in such a way that saves heavy expenditures, reduces administrative burden, and, as a corollary allowing copious benefits to a nation. Sounds captivating? Well, the idea of ‘One nation One election’ elucidates the same, proposing for Lok Sabha as well as state assemblies elections to happen in unison, smoothing the path of electoral results in the world’s largest democracy, India, as well as Bharat.
Historical Background
India concluded its 18th Lok Sabha election in June 2024, acknowledged to be the world’s largest democratic election with over 900 million people voting, ending in a total of seven phases[1]. The general elections were held simultaneously in four states, namely Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim, demonstrating the scope of conducting elections contemporaneously.
Historically, India has already witnessed simultaneous elections since its inception as a republic, holding its very first general elections in 1951[2] till the fourth general elections in 1967. These four general elections were held synchronously with state assemblies’ elections, the streamlined flow was disrupted only when, in 1967-68, some legislative assemblies were dissolved ahead of their completion of the stipulated tenure[3]. Moreover, the fourth Lok Sabha had to be dissolved in 1970 as an egregious consequence of internal issues[4]. This particular chain of events led to a denouement of ending simultaneous elections.
[1] Election Commission of India, 18th Lok Sabha General Elections Statistics Report 2024 (ECI 2024).
[2] Government of India, Report on the First General Elections in India 1951–52 (Election Commission of India 1952).
[3] Yogendra Yadav, ‘Electoral Politics in the Time of Political Instability: India 1967–1971’ (1999) Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 34, No. 34/35, 2433–2439.
[4] Granville Austin, Working a Democratic Constitution: The Indian Experience (Oxford University Press 1999) 335.