#DeepDive | The BJP-led Union Cabinet has officially approved the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal, based on the report submitted by former President Ram Nath Kovind’s committee.
This has sparked significant discourse: Will this initiative reshape Indian federalism? Will it enhance the efficiency of our electoral process, or could it disproportionately benefit large national parties? Comment below with your thoughts!
#OneNationOneElection #ElectionReform #IndianDemocracy #LokSabha2024 #StateElections #ElectoralReform #FederalismDebate #KovindCommittee
Follow this story and more: https://www.outlookindia.com/
This has sparked significant discourse: Will this initiative reshape Indian federalism? Will it enhance the efficiency of our electoral process, or could it disproportionately benefit large national parties? Comment below with your thoughts!
#OneNationOneElection #ElectionReform #IndianDemocracy #LokSabha2024 #StateElections #ElectoralReform #FederalismDebate #KovindCommittee
Follow this story and more: https://www.outlookindia.com/
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NewsTranscript
00:00The BJP-led Union Cabinet has officially given the nod to the One Nation, One Election proposal
00:06based on the reports submitted by former President Ram Nath Kovind's committee.
00:11The proposal aims to synchronise Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections across the country.
00:17Welcome to Deep Dive with Outlook.
00:19Today, we'll be exploring this political reform being discussed in India.
00:25Implementation of One Nation, One Election won't be easy.
00:27It requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament and ratification by at least half the states.
00:34Amendments need to be made to key articles of the Constitution and the representation
00:39of People's Act 1951 must also be altered.
00:43Advocates of One Nation, One Election believe it will create economies of scale, cutting
00:49administrative costs such as personal training, transportation of EVMs, and deployment of
00:55security forces.
00:57In a recent public meeting in Jammu, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted that the
01:02initiative could potentially save the country Rs 3 lakh crore.
01:06However, critics like Vikas Kumar, an economics professor at Azeem Premji University, have
01:12argued that the financial benefits of this initiative may not be as significant as presented.
01:19In a 2023 article, Vikas Kumar estimated that merging these elections would not save more
01:25than Rs 50 per citizen over a five-year period.
01:29This calculation takes into account costs such as training personnel, transporting EVMs,
01:35and deploying security forces.
01:37Additionally, the need for extra EVMs and ensuring polling staff availability would
01:42further temper these savings.
01:45But the discussion around One Nation, One Election goes beyond logistics and costs.
01:50A key question is whether this proposal could alter the fabric of Indian federalism.
01:56Article 1 of the Indian Constitution that notes, India i.e. Bharat shall be a union
02:01of states, carries the foundational principle of Indian federalism.
02:05Dr. B R Ambedkar, the chairperson of the Constitution Drafting Committee, though replaced the word
02:11federation with union, invoking the unity among differences and diversity.
02:18Critics argue that One Nation, One Election could undermine the federal balance, particularly
02:23disadvantaging smaller regional parties.
02:26A study by CSTS found that in 24 out of 31 assembly elections held alongside the Lok
02:32Sabha polls between 1989 and 2014, voters gave a similar proportion of votes to major
02:39political parties in both elections.
02:42Currently, the model code of conduct comes into force during elections, effectively pausing
02:47governance as political leaders are restricted from making policy decisions.
02:52For a nation like India, where elections are held frequently, this results in multiple
02:57periods of stalled governance.
02:59Advocates of One Nation, One Election believe that synchronized elections could ease this
03:04administrative strain.
03:06However, S Y Qureshi, former Chief Election Commissioner of India, points out that frequent
03:12elections, while somewhat disruptive, serve a crucial purpose in ensuring accountability.
03:18These elections compel politicians to remain visible to the public, preventing them from
03:23disappearing from the voters' radar after their campaigns.
03:27They also generate job opportunities at the grassroots level and help keep local, regional
03:33and national issues distinct.
03:35As discussions on One Nation, One Election progress, critical questions emerge.
03:40Will this initiative reshape Indian federalism?
03:44Will it enhance the efficiency of our electoral process or could it disproportionately benefit
03:50large national parties?
03:52For this and more, you can read Outlook's October 2023 issue, One Nation, One Election,
03:57One Nation, Many People and our February 2022 issue, Altered Federalism.