The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government plans to implement “One Nation, One Election” within its current term, according to a report by the news agency PTI on Sunday. The sources said that as the NDA government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reaches its 100th day in office for this term, the internal unity of the ruling alliance is expected to persist throughout the rest of the tenure.
“Definitely, it will be implemented in this tenure itself. It will be a reality,” one source told PTI, speaking on condition of anonymity.
What is ‘One Nation, One Election’?
The concept of ‘One Nation, One Election’ aims to synchronize the timing of Lok Sabha and state assembly elections across all states and Union Territories (UTs) to minimize the frequency of elections in India. Elections were conducted simultaneously for the House of the People and Legislative Assemblies of States from 1951-52 to 1967, but this cycle was disrupted, leading to elections being held almost annually at different times. This has resulted in significant government expenditure and diversion of security forces.
The BJP had pledged to implement ‘One Nation, One Election’ in its manifesto for the recent Lok Sabha elections.
Modi’s Advocacy for ‘One Nation, One Election’
Prime Minister Modi strongly advocated for “One Nation, One Election” during his Independence Day speech on August 15, arguing that frequent elections were impeding the country’s progress. “The nation has to come forward for ‘One Nation, One Election’,” Modi asserted in his address from the Red Fort.
In September of the previous year, the Modi government formed a high-level committee to explore the feasibility of ‘One Nation, One Election’ and to recommend measures for conducting simultaneous polls. This committee is chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
(With inputs from agencies)