The Centre has formed a committee to investigate the idea of “one nation, one election,” which is a significant step forward. The committee will then produce a report. Ram Nath Kovind, a former president, will serve as the panel’s chairman.
The action was taken one day after the Centre declared a special session of the Parliament to take place from September 18 to 22. A bill on “one nation, one election” has been rumoured to be introduced during the session ever since the unexpected declaration, although no one from the government has verified this as of yet.
The phrase “One Nation, One Election” alludes to holding the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections simultaneously throughout the nation. The subject has been discussed by the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on numerous occasions, and it was included in the party’s platform for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
In India, holding elections concurrently was customary up until 1967; four elections were held in this manner. Following the early dissolution of some state assemblies in 1968–1969, the practise was abandoned. In 1970, the Lok Sabha was also dissolved for the first time a year early, and mid-term elections were held in 1971.
The BJP had pledged in its 2014 Lok Sabha Election Manifesto to develop a strategy for holding the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections simultaneously.
The BJP is determined to starting election reforms to get rid of criminals, according to page 14 of the platform. Through discussions with other parties, the BJP would try to develop a strategy for holding the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections simultaneously. This will guarantee some stability for State Governments in addition to lowering election costs for political parties and the government. We’ll also consider realistically revising the expenditure caps.
Following the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, PM Modi convened an all-party meeting to explore simultaneous elections after he had previously discussed the topic in 2016. Several opposition parties had skipped the gathering.
The nation’s resources would be taxed and there would be a lapse in governance, according to the prime minister’s argument.
In one of the earliest political responses to the formation of the committee, D Raja, general secretary of the Communist Party of India, told NDTV that the BJP is fixated on one country, one party, and that it has been uneasy ever since the opposition came together under the INDIA banner.
One country, one election is not a new topic. There have been discussions about it for a while. One nation, one culture, one nation, one religion, one nation, one language, one nation, one tax, one nation, one election, one nation, one party, one nation, one leader—these concepts have consumed the BJP ever since it came to power. The BJP is obsessed with that, according to Mr. Raja.
“Dr. Ambedkar declared that in our democracy, the Parliament is supreme, but the BJP is undermining the Parliament,” a critic charged. Our Parliament is becoming less and less necessary. However, they convened a special meeting. Nobody is aware of the motivation. The BJP has been anxious and in need of help ever since the opposition parties united behind the INDIA flag. Mr. Modi feels uneasy, he continued.
According to experts, making the ‘one nation, one election’ plan a reality will necessitate a constitutional amendment as well as the backing of two-thirds of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members.
Assembly elections in five states – Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram are scheduled for November-December, with Lok Sabha elections scheduled for May following year.
