‘One Nation, One Election’

The process of election is the cornerstone of any democratic system; it’s a device to determine the authority to govern the country for a defined period. Free and fair elections are the heart and soul of the representative form of government and serve as a means of communication between the public and the government. Theme Paper on ‘One Nation, One Election’ discusses the subtleties of holding simultaneous elections. The paper also brings forth the constitutional and legal provisions for elections, national and international experiences on concurrent elections, the views expressed by various committees on it; and the benefits and challenges of having simultaneous elections.

                                                  Contents
Foreword.................................................................................................................iii
Preface.....................................................................................................................v

Abstract............................................................................................................ 1
1. Introduction ................................................................................................ 2
2. Parliamentary Democratic Process and Elections .............................. 3
3. Evolution of Parliamentary Democratic Process in India................. 7
4. Constitutional Provisions to Elections.................................................. 9
       4.1 Provisions relating to the Election of President..................................... 9
       4.2 Election of Vice-President........................................................................... 11
       4.3 System of Election to Lok Sabha............................................................... 11
       4.4 Elections to Rajya Sabha ............................................................................. 14
       4.5 Elections to State Legislatures.................................................................. 14
       4.6 Composition of the Legislative Councils................................................. 15
       4.7 Adult Suffrage ................................................................................................ 15
5. Election Commission-Role and Functions.......................................... 16
     5.1 Election Commission.................................................................................... 16
     5.2 State Election Commission......................................................................... 18
6. Reservation of seats................................................................................. 18
    6.1 Reservation of seats in Lok Sabha............................................................. 18
    6.2 Reservation of seats in Vidhan Sabha....................................................... 19
7. Elections for Local Self Government Institutions ............................ 20
    7.1 Elections to Panchayati Raj Institutions................................................. 20
    7.2 Elections for Municipalities........................................................................ 23
8. Laws dealing with Elections .................................................................. 25
9.One Nation, One Election ....................................................................... 27
     9.1 Simultaneous Elections – Meaning and Scope ...................................... 27
     9.2 Models of Simultaneous General Elections.......................................... 27
     9.3 Concurrent Elections-Country Specific Experience............................. 30
     9.4 Simultaneous Election –Indian Scenario................................................. 33
     9.5 The First Four General Elections after Independence-Brief............. 36
     9.6 Recommendations of Various Committees on Simultaneous Elections ........................................................... 40
     9.7 Views Expressed on Simultaneous Elections......................................... 48
     9.8 Need for Simultaneous Elections.............................................................. 50
     9.9 Challenges for ‘One Nation, One Election’............................................. 56
10. Conclusion ...............................................................................................59
11. References................................................................................................60
12. Bibliography………………………………………………………….68