Is 'One Nation, One Election' an idea whose time has come?
India TodayThe Narendra Modi government has formed a committee under former president Ram Nath Kovind to explore the possibility of ‘one nation, one election’ in the country. Simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls may mean big savings of time and money, but critics warn that it threatens to strike at the very nature of India’s parliamentary democracy. It makes sense to consider the reform, but given the complexity of conducting polls, it’s imperative to streamline the process with full political consensus By Navin B. Chawla Holding simultaneous elections is a proposal worth considering. Quraishi The BJP’s manifesto for the 2014 elections proposed simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha, vidhan sabhas, panchayats and municipal bodies. It is, however, the legal and constitutional issues that make simultaneous polls unfeasible and until political parties can reach a consensus, we must consider reducing costs by putting a cap on the expenses incurred by political parties.