One Nation, One Election: A Transformative Step for India's Democracy
India, home to over 1.4 billion people and the world’s fastest-growing major economy, can’t afford being in a continuous election cycle. Year after year, several states go to the polls, derailing governance, resources, and political attention. It is now time for an overdue change and this is with ‘One Nation, One Election’, an idea whose time has come.
Revival of an Established Model
Simultaneous elections are nothing new to India. India did manage to successfully hold elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies together from 1951-52 to 1967. It was only in 1968-69 that the cycle was disrupted, as certain assemblies were prematurely dissolved. Reintroducing this system is not a radical overhaul but a restoration of an efficient electoral model that once worked seamlessly.
Economic and Governance Gains
The most significant reason to implement ‘One Nation, One Election’ is the huge savings in election expenditure. Elections are a costly affair as it involves thousands of crores in logistical expenses, security deployment, and manpower. Holding elections once in five years instead of multiple times in a year will save these funds for infrastructure, healthcare, and education, which are in dire need of attention.
Comments
Post a Comment