Subject: Indian Polity

The 2024 Lok Sabha elections, costing an estimated ₹1.35 lakh crore according to the Centre for Media Studies, underscore the urgent need for electoral reforms, particularly the "One Nation, One Election" (ONOE) principle.

Need for One Nation One Election

General Electoral Reforms Required

1. Financial transparency: The Indrajit Gupta Committee recommended partial state funding, a need reinforced by the Supreme Court’s 2024 striking down of the opaque Electoral Bonds scheme.
2. Decriminalisation: The 244th Law Commission stressed disqualifying candidates immediately upon the framing of serious charges to cleanse legislative integrity.
3. Institutional autonomy: The 2nd ARC's push for an independent selection collegium for the Election Commission culminated in the CEC Appointment Act, 2023.

Committees which recommended electoral reforms

Examining the Need for ONOE

1. Policy continuity: The Ram Nath Kovind Committee (2024) noted that frequent Model Code of Conduct (MCC) enforcements stall welfare schemes, as witnessed during the three-month MCC in 2024.
2. Exchequer relief: The 255th Law Commission highlighted that synchronised cycles prevent the repetitive financial drain on Central and State budgets.
3. Administrative efficiency: The Kovind panel estimated ONOE could reduce polling personnel deployment by 28%, saving over one crore personnel-days lost to security duties.
4. Unified rolls: The 22nd Law Commission proposed a common electoral roll under a new Part XV-A to prevent voter duplication across panchayat and national polls.

Constitutional and Practical Implications

1. Federal friction: Synchronisation requires a "one-time measure" to prematurely dissolve certain State Assemblies, raising concerns over the dilution of regional autonomy.
2. Constitutional overhaul: Implementing ONOE necessitates inserting Articles 82A and 324A, requiring constitutional amendments ratified by at least half the states.
3. Hung assemblies: To maintain the simultaneous cycle, fresh elections post-government collapse would only cover the "unexpired term," potentially institutionalising short-term instability.

As the Union Cabinet recently approved ONOE in phases, the newly formed Implementation Group must build broad consensus. Emulating successful models like Sweden requires balancing administrative efficiency with India’s cooperative federalism.