The government is poised to resume implementation of its flagship One Country One Election proposal, which may be brought to parliament’s floor in this current sitting. As reported by sources, the Cabinet has endorsed the recommendations of the Ram Nath Kovind Committee, paving the way for deliberations to garner consensus on this transformative proposal.
For complete scrutiny, the government might put the One Country One Election project before an initiative Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). The JPC would interact with all political parties, state assembly members, intellectuals, and other interest groups to elicit a spectrum of views. Public consultation is also in the pipeline, as the authorities plan to include citizens in the process of drafting this important electoral reform.
One Country One Election proposal to cater to challenges
The project is beset with a variety of challenges, especially in fashioning agreements between all stakeholders. The project of a unified country-one-election paper would involve constitutional amendments with at least six bills and a two-thirds majority in Parliament. Even though the current NDA government has a simple majority in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, it lacks a two-thirds majority in either house. For example, in the Rajya Sabha, it has 112 members for the NDA when the two-thirds majority is 164.
Proponents argue that the One Country One Election project could reduce election costs, save time, and streamline governance by avoiding repeated imposition of the Model Code of Conduct, which halts developmental work. However, the Opposition has pointed out the issues of administrative difficulties and constitutional difficulties, and it has criticized the proposal as impractical and undemocratic.
According to the Kovind Committee report, the success of the One Country, One Election project lies in the bipartisan consensus and the public debate. It further argues that complete implementation may only be possible after 2029. Despite obstacles, the government continues to pursue options to realize simultaneous elections and emphasizes its ability to change the electoral system in India.
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