‘One poll’ logjam

ONE nation, one election (ONOE), an electoral reform championed by the BJP-led NDA government, is facing stiff resistance from Opposition parties ahead of the imminent introduction of two Bills in the Lok Sabha. The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill is aimed at facilitating simultaneous parliamentary and Assembly elections, while the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill seeks to synchronise Assembly polls in Delhi, J&K and Puducherry. Apparently, the government is buying time over the contentious matter as it has decided not to introduce the Bills today, as initially scheduled, and is expected to do so later in the week towards the end of the winter session of Parliament.

This is an issue of national importance that merits an informed debate both within and outside Parliament. The BJP and its allies claim that ONOE would not only lead to savings in terms of time as well as financial and human resources but also do away with disruptions caused by the frequent imposition of the Model Code of Conduct. However, the Congress and several other Opposition parties fear that this initiative poses a threat to India’s federal structure. A key point is the possibility of people voting for the same party at the Centre and in states if simultaneous elections take place. Parliamentary and Assembly polls separated by even a few months can produce strikingly different results, as seen in Maharashtra this year. The Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi eclipsed the BJP-helmed Mahayuti in the Lok Sabha polls, but the latter bounced back strongly in the Assembly battle.

The catch is that even if the Bills are somehow passed by Parliament in the ongoing session, it would take around a decade to roll out the reform. So, why rush into something that has implications for every voter and political party in the country? A democratic way of going about things would be to refer the Bills to a Joint Parliamentary Committee and make all-out efforts to build consensus.