A Brief Background of One Nation One Election
Following the adoption of the Constitution of India in 1950, Indians were transformed from subjects to citizens. Citizenship empowered Indians to elect their representatives at the federal and state levels based on the principle of universal adult suffrage enshrined in Article 326 of the Constitution.
Article 324 of the Constitution mandated the creation of an independent body, namely the Election Commission of India, to “superintend, direct and control” elections to Parliament, state legislatures, and the offices of the President and the Vice President of India. To facilitate the conduct of elections by the Election Commission of India, Parliament enacted the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and Representation of the People Act, 1951, and a series of rules were framed to effectuate such legislation, including the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 and Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961. Under these laws, the first general elections to Lok Sabha and all State Legislative Assemblies were held together in 1951-52. That practice continued over three subsequent general elections held in 1957, 1962, and 1967.
However, due to the premature dissolution of some Legislative Assemblies in 1968 and 1969, the cycle was disrupted for the first time in 1970. The Fourth Lok Sabha itself was dissolved prematurely, and elections were held in 1971. Over the next 50-plus years, India didn’t have simultaneous elections. Since 2017, the NITI Aayog and the government have proposed a return to simultaneous elections in India, highlighting that asynchronous elections negatively impact administrative and developmental activities in poll-bound states/regions and the more extensive governance process in general. The NITI Aayog white paper and Law Commission Reports also note that simultaneous elections would bring tremendous cost savings for political parties and the government.
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