Vikrant Shekhawat : Sep 19, 2024, 06:20 PM
One Nation One Election: The Modi government has taken an important step towards 'one country, one election'. After the cabinet approves the report of the committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, this proposed bill is likely to be introduced in the winter session of Parliament. However, many legal and political hurdles will have to be crossed to implement it.One Country, One Election: What is this concept?'One Country, One Election' implies that Lok Sabha and assembly elections of all states should be held simultaneously in the country. The main objective of this initiative is to simplify the electoral process and reduce the expenditure on elections. The government believes that this will increase administrative efficiency and also increase voter participation.Need for constitutional amendmentTo implement this scheme, amendment in the Constitution will be required, for which the support of opposition parties is necessary. The Modi government has to be reminded that in the last term, it had passed many important bills, such as the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Bill and the Citizenship Amendment Bill, without opposition support. But will it be so easy?Challenge of numbers gameAlthough the NDA has a majority in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, counting numbers alone will not be enough to pass One Country, One Election. The support of 362 members in the Lok Sabha and 164 members in the Rajya Sabha is required for the constitutional amendment. Currently, the opposition alliance has 234 members in the Lok Sabha and 85 members in the Rajya Sabha, which complicates the situation.Need for consent of statesThe consent of the states will also be required for 'One Country, One Election'. It is possible to get the support of BJP-ruled states, but many states have governments of opposition parties, which may oppose this proposal. For example, TMC, Congress and Left parties are already at odds on this issue.Concerns of regional partiesElections in India are often based on local issues, and holding simultaneous elections may harm regional parties. The existence of smaller political parties may be in danger, causing them to stand against this scheme. This opposition of regional parties can become another challenge for the government.Consensus building processUnion Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that the government will try to build consensus by holding talks with various parties. However, this task will not be easy. Past experiences make it clear that building consensus among political parties can be a complex process.ConclusionThe Modi government's proposal of 'One Country, One Election' can open a new chapter in the country's politics. However, many legal, political and social hurdles will have to be crossed to implement it. Whether this plan will actually be successful or it will remain only a political announcement will depend on future developments. The government will have to make active efforts towards dialogue and consensus building among all parties, so that this ambitious plan can be turned into reality.