Editor's Pick: Is 'one nation, one election' actually feasible?

(The Editor's Pick is a new newsletter from The Hindu that provides a snapshot of the most important stories from today's edition of our newspaper, along with a note from our top editors on why we chose to give prominence to these stories.)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pitched for the idea of "one nation, one election", or all elections at the Central and State levels being held at one go. Speaking to a conference of election presiding officers on Constitution Day, the PM also spoke of the need for a single voters list across the country. He added that multiple elections and voters' lists were a waste of time and money, and hampered development work.

The concept of "one nation, one election" is one that Mr. Modi, and the BJP, have frequently returned to. The single schedule of elections in India was broken after 1967 as party coalitions formed in the anti-Congress wave in many States failed to stay together. Seven Lok Sabhas have also had to be dissolved before completion of their term due to lack of majority or as coalitions collapsed. Another reason for different elections dates was the dismissals of State governments and imposition of President's rule over several decades under Article 356 of the Constitution, till restrictions on this practice were put in place by the Supreme Court in the Bommai judgement. Now, only a few States hold elections alongside the general elections, with the rest spread out in lots of five or fewer.

The Election Commission had mooted a return to the single schedule in 1983. However, most of the action in this front has happened since 2015, when a parliamentary panel report pointed to the drawbacks of extended election periods. In 2018, a draft report by the Law Commission came up with a plan for a single election by 2024. The recommendation was to coalesce elections in 2019 and 2021 by extending or curtailing the terms of various State Assemblies. This would require some constitutional amendments and consensus of the States. The recommendations were not carried out ahead of the 2019 election but could be the framework for any such plans in the future. As for what happens in the event of a vote of no confidence, one of the models that have been mooted is the German 'constructive vote of no confidence'. In this model, Parliament can withdraw its confidence in a government only if there is an alternative government available.

None of the major opposition parties has so far joined the "one-nation-one-poll" bandwagon, with many calling it undemocratic and against the Constitution. However, with the majority that the BJP enjoys at the Centre and in several States, the PM's words on this colossal and politically sensitive project carry weight. This is what makes the story important.