Opinion | One Nation, One Election: Undoing Indira Gandhi's Legacy Won't Be Easy

Until 1967, independent India had witnessed four simultaneous elections for Parliament and state assemblies. The next national elections were scheduled for 1972, five years later. However, then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had a different plan. A deep schism had developed between her and the "syndicate" that had helped her become Prime Minister following the unfortunate death of Lal Bahadur Shastri. She proved to be much shrewder than they had anticipated, shaking off the label of Goongi Gudia. The rift between her and her initial backers - the supposed stalwarts of the Congress party - grew so significant that she was ultimately forced out, leading her to form a rival faction, Congress (R). She also initiated a coalition government with some non-Congress parties, marking India's first such experiment.

The Fall Of The Coalition

Those were challenging years for her. It soon became apparent that this coalition was unstable. In December 1970, Gandhi addressed the nation, announcing the dissolution of the Lok Sabha about 15 months ahead of its term to call for a snap election.

In the last simultaneous elections in 1967, the Congress party's nearly perfect winning streak was jolted when it lost five state assemblies and slipped to second place in four others. The next Lok Sabha elections, held in early 1971 instead of the scheduled 1972, decoupled parliamentary and state elections. By then, several state assemblies-such as those in Kerala, Haryana, Bihar, Nagaland, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal-had experienced mid-term elections due to the fall of their respective governments.

A Long-Pending Poll Promise

Fast forward to September 18, 2024, when the Union cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved his long-cherished idea of One Nation, One Election. Modi has been advocating for this since he assumed office in 2014, and it was also one of the promises made by him and the BJP ahead of the 2019 parliamentary elections.

By giving a Cabinet nod to One Nation, One Election, the ruling BJP took its first official step toward fulfilling one of its most significant electoral promises, coinciding with the completion of the first 100 days of Modi government 3.0.

Towards the end of its previous term, the Modi government acted quickly, constituting a committee in September 2023 headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind. This committee held extensive consultations with stakeholders, experts, and conducted research, ultimately submitting an 18,626-page report to the President in March 2024.

Contrary to widespread belief that implementing One Nation, One Election would necessitate a series of constitutional amendments and ratification by more than half of the state assemblies, the committee recommended that once Parliament passes the required amendments, state ratification would not be needed for simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls. However, state ratification would be necessary once municipal and local body elections are aligned with national polls, which is proposed for a second phase.

The Mechanism For ONOE

How will it work? According to the framework outlined by the committee, ahead of the next Lok Sabha elections, all state assemblies and local bodies will be dissolved as a one-time measure, regardless of their remaining terms. This synchronization will allow parliamentary and state assembly polls to occur simultaneously, with local body elections held within 100 days thereafter.

In the event of a state government falling within the stipulated five years, where an alternative government cannot be formed, fresh elections for that hung assembly or local body would be conducted for the reduced term. For instance, if such a scenario arises three years after the last election, a fresh election would occur for two years, ensuring alignment with the next national election.

This also implies that a single electoral roll for parliamentary, state, and local body elections will need to be maintained, replacing the current system of three separate rolls.

Heavy Debate Expected

Out of the 47 political parties that submitted their views, 32 supported simultaneous elections while 15 opposed them. In addition to soliciting public observations, the committee consulted legal experts-including four former Chief Justices of India, twelve former Chief Justices of major High Courts, four former Chief Election Commissioners, eight State Election Commissioners, and the Chairman of the Law Commission of India. Business and industry bodies such as CII, FICCI, and ASSOCHAM, as well as prominent economists, were also consulted regarding the economic implications of holding simultaneous elections.

The draft constitutional amendment bill may be presented in Parliament during the winter session. If Parliament functions normally, the upcoming discussions on the constitutional amendment bills for One Nation, One Election are expected to be among the liveliest debates ever witnessed. However, executing this task will be easier said than done.

(Sanjay Singh is Contributing Editor, NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author