Law Commission Backs The Idea Of ‘One Nation, One Election’

The Law Commission of India have supported the idea of holding simultaneous polls for all states along with the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The committee’s recommendations, in the form of a draft report, have been uploaded to its website.

The commission has said that the required move will need an amendment to Article 172 of the Indian Constitution. According to the framework recommended by the commission, elections for 13 states and Union territories can be synchronised with the 2019 Lok Sabha elections whereas those for the remaining 16 state can be held in 2021.

For the 16 state assemblies where the elections can be held in year 2021, the term “shall be only for thirty months or till June 2024, whichever is earlier”, the law commission report said. “Thereafter, elections to the House of the People and all the State Legislative Assemblies and Union Territories (with legislatures) can be held together from 2024, completely synchronising the elections.”

The commission also suggested that elections can be held twice every five years resulting in simultaneous elections for 13 states and union territories with the Lok Sabha elections and another for the remaining 16 states.

In the event of any government falling due to failing to pass the confidence motion or for any other reason, the next government to be sworn in shall only last for the remaining term of the first government, the draft report said. The same principle, according to the report, will apply in the case of a hung assembly where elections are needed to be held again.

The recommendations said that simultaneous elections will help to:

• Save public money.
• Help reducing the burden on administrative set up and security forces.
• Ensure better implementation of government policies in time and the administrative machinery of the country will be continuously engaged in developmental activities rather than in electioneering.

The commission has called for further discussions on the draft report involving all stakeholders before it submits its final report to the government.

Among the political parties that had made representations to the commission, 10, including the main opposition party—the Indian National Congress, opposed the move, while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and 10 others backed it.