LOK SABHA

(Background Guide)

AGENDA

ONE NATION ONE ELECTION

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

Dear Parliamentarian,

Congratulations on getting the opportunity to participate in JUSTITIA 2024. To

the veterans of Youth parliament, we promise you a very enriching debate that
you’ve never experienced before and to the newcomers, we are excited to be a
part of your maiden voyage. As the world looks to come out of a rather
‘depression’ ridden economic environment and the world talks about a long
standing ‘power shift’ to the east happening soon, the importance of our
generation being ‘ready enough’ to accept various challenges that lie ahead of
us can hardly be overstated.

What we desire from the delegates is not how experienced or articulate they are.
Rather, we want to see how she/he can respect disparities and differences of
opinion, work around these, while extending their own policy so that it
encompasses more of the others without compromising their own stand, thereby
reaching an unanimously acceptable practical solution. The following pages
intend to guide you with the nuances of the agenda as well as the committee.

The Guide chronologically touches upon all the different aspects that are relevant
and will lead to fruitful debate in the committee. It will provide you with a bird’s
eye view of the gist of the agenda. However, it must be noted that the background
guide only contains certain basic information which may form the basis for the
debate and your research. You are the representative of your allotted portfolio,
and it is our hope that you put in wholehearted efforts to research and
comprehensively grasp all important facets of the diverse agenda. All the
delegates should be prepared well in order to make the committee’s direction and
debate productive. After all, only then will you truly be able to represent your
country in the best possible way.

Kindly note, that unlike most conventional/unconventional committees you have

attended, this committee shall have “substantive” intervention by the Executive
Board.

We encourage you to go beyond this background guide and delve into the
extremities of the agenda to further enhance your knowledge of a burning
issue.
Lok Sabha

Introduction

The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of
India. The Lok Sabha meets in the Lok Sabha Chambers, Sansad Bhavan,
Sansad Marg, New Delhi. Lok Sabha is composed of representatives of the
people chosen by direct election on the basis of adult suffrage. The maximum
strength of the House envisaged by the Constitution of India is 552. The total
elective membership is distributed among the States in such a way that the ratio
between the number of seats allotted to each State and the population of the
State is, so far as practicable, the same for all States. Lok Sabha, unless sooner
dissolved, continues for five years from the date appointed for its first meeting
and the expiration of the period of five years operates as dissolution of the
House. However, while a proclamation of emergency is in operation, this period
may be extended. The Lok Sabha performs a number of useful functions. Some
of these functions are described below:

1. Legislative:
Law-making is the main function of the Parliament and in this field the Lok
Sabha plays an important role. All types of bills can originate in the Lok Sabha
and if a bill is moved in and passed by the Rajya Sabha, it has to come to the
Lok Sabha for its approval.

2. Financial:
Control over purse makes one powerful. In financial matters, the Lok Sabha has
a distinct superiority over the Rajya Sabha. The Money Bill can be introduced
only in the Lok Sabha. It is up to the Lok Sabha to accept or reject the
suggestions for change in the Money Bill made by the Rajya Sabha.

3. Control over Executive:

The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lower House of the
Parliament. Thus, the government is accountable to the Lok Sabha for its acts of
omission and commission. It is only the Lok Sabha which can force the Council
of Ministers to resign by passing a vote of non-confidence against it. There are
also other methods by which the Lok Sabha can exercise control over the
central executive. These methods are putting questions, moving adjournment
motions and call-attention motions, budget discussions, cut-motions and debates
etc. By employing any of these methods the Lok Sabha can expose the
misdeeds and inefficiency of the government and warn it against repeating such
mistakes.

4. Constitutional:
The Lok Sabha shares with the Rajya Sabha the power to amend the
constitution.

5. Electoral:
(a) The Lok Sabha takes part in the election of the President and the Vice-
President.

(b) It elects the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker.

(c) Its members are elected to different committees of the Parliament.

6. Judicial:

(a) The Lok Sabha has power to punish a person on the ground of breach of
privilege.

(b) It takes part in the impeachment proceedings against the President of India.
(c) It shares power with the Rajya Sabha to remove the Judges of the Supreme
Court and the Judges of High Courts.

AGENDA

INTRODUCTION

In today's India, all political parties use the phrase "one nation, one election" as
a catchphrase. Elections and political processes serve four practical goals in a
democracy. First, they should support the greatest and brightest in public life.
Second, the most honest, competent, and public-spirited politicians capable of
serving the common good must be electable by ethical methods. India is the
world's largest democracy. Elections are the most important and fundamental
aspect of politics under a democratic form of government. Democracy can only
operate if elections are free and fair, not controlled and rigged. However, for a
variety of reasons, the democratic system is not functioning correctly, and the
average citizen believes that the voting process is flawed. Over the years, the
Indian voting system has suffered from major problems. Thus, our country's
election process is seen as the root cause of political corruption. In ideal
circumstances, an unprejudiced and upright individual who is public- spirited
and wishes to serve the people should be able to compete for and be chosen as
the people's representative.

BACKGROUND

Since 1983, when the Election Commission originally proposed the notion, it
has existed. Nonetheless, concurrent elections were common in India up until
1967. In 1951–1952, all state legislative legislatures and the House of People
(Lok Sabha) had concurrent general elections. In the ensuing three general
elections—1957, 1962, and 1967—that practice persisted. However, the pattern
was broken in 1968 and 1969 when certain legislative assemblies were
prematurely dissolved. The Lok Sabha was also prematurely dissolved in 1970,
and new elections were conducted in 1971. As a result, only the First, Second,
and Third Lok Sabha had completed five-year terms up until 1970.

INDIAN ELECTIONS: PAST AND PRESENT

Comparing our legislative system to the American one reveals how much more
intricate, challenging, and unique it is. Furthermore, the notion of "One Nation,
One Election" is not novel. From 1951–1952 till 1967, we conducted elections
for the Lok Sabha and legislatures. Regarding "One Nation, One Election's"
effectiveness, there are no disagreements. Its execution and the means of
enforcing it throughout India are the issues that require attention. We must also
work for a consensus since the Parliamentary system is based on customs and
traditions, and it is now challenging to force one's will on all of the political
parties. It is conceivable to synchronize elections from the Lok Sabha to state
assemblies and even municipal entities; what matters is how this
synchronization may be achieved in accordance with established customs and
traditions. The set duration of the Lok Sabha is the most crucial factor that
allows for synchronization. The remaining assembly durations can thus be
added to or decreased if we maintain this criterion (the next Lok Sabha elections
are scheduled for 2024). Furthermore, the notion of holding simultaneous
elections highlights some crucial information regarding the exchequer's funding
in relation to polling costs, party expenses, etc.

When the first Lok Sabha elections were held in 1951–1952, there were
incredibly few political parties, candidates, and even polling place fees.
Elections to the Lok Sabha, state legislatures, and even municipal bodies might
be synchronized; what counts is that this synchronization be accomplished in a
way that respects long-standing customs and traditions. Most importantly,
synchronization is made possible by the Lok Sabha's fixed duration. If this
condition is upheld, then the lengths of the remaining assemblies can be
increased or lowered (the next Lok Sabha elections are slated for 2024).

Moreover, the idea of concurrent elections brings to light some important details
about the exchequer's financing of party expenditures, polling fees, etc. There
weren't many political parties, candidates, or even polling place fees when the
first Lok Sabha elections were held in 1951–1952.

ADVANTAGES OF ONE NATION ONE ELECTION

Voter impact from black money will be diminished because party funding will
not be needed repeatedly, reducing the need for parties to use deceptive
fundraising techniques. Every time elections are approaching, caste politics and
casteism flare up. Cut costs The "One Nation, One Election" strategy benefits
non-resident Indians because it will only require them to go once in order to
vote for a party's worthy candidate. Concurrent elections may also help reduce
corruption and create a more favorable socioeconomic environment. Quick
Development Process The government machinery is operating without hiccups.
The effectiveness of governance is an increase in the percentage of voters—
voters are encouraged to participate via concurrent elections Concurrent voting
saves both money and time.

DISADVANTAGES OF ONE NATION ONE ELECTION

Huge Equipment and Resource Requirements Constitutional Issues: Because of

the nation's democratic system, one-time elections appear to be nearly
impossible. Election Results Delay looming large above the US Hung
gatherings Change of coalition Expenses rise.

LEGAL CONSTRAINTS

In S.R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994), the Supreme Court ruled that States
have their own constitutional existence and play an equal part in people's
political, social, educational, and cultural life as the Union.

The Constitution mandates a five-year tenure for state legislatures, beginning

with the first meeting date. A similar clause governs the term of the Union
Parliament. As a result, the implementation of a unified election method would
need a change in the current durations of a number of state legislatures

THE ELECTION COMMISSION HAS THE FOLLOWING LOGISTICAL

CHALLENGES

Conducting simultaneous elections would undoubtedly present logistical

challenges. Normally, each polling place uses a single voting machine for
elections. If we were to hold multiple elections at the same time, the
requirements for VVPATs and EVMs would triple, as each polling location
would need to have two sets of machines. Additionally, poll workers would
need to meet extra qualifications. Transporting all of these materials to the
polling stations would be difficult, and there would be a greater need for
transportation, more poll workers, and increased central police presence.

Even now, many states struggle with storing EVMs. After elections, there’s a
significant challenge in finding storage space, leading some states to rent
warehouses. If we were to hold simultaneous elections, we’d face the issue of
storing twice as many EVMs and VVPATs. This would create logistical
challenges and require additional funding.

Therefore, there would be a significant one-time cost, but there would also be a
significant saving on both counts. Furthermore, elections won't always be in
session in this nation. There will be beneficial administrative work being done
by the government. The Model Code of Conduct now goes into effect in some
areas of our nation every five to six months. All developmental initiatives often
suffer in those areas when the Model Code of Conduct is being enforced.
Having said that, if both elections are held at the same time, it won't be too
problematic for the Election Commission.

DOES CONTINUAL CAMPAIGNING DISRUPT GOVERNANCE PROCESSES?

India has 31 legislatures that go to the polls every five years. Elections are also
held in our nation at least twice or three times every year in various states. This
has an impact on the concept of governance, particularly good governance.
When we acknowledge that elections must be held concurrently every five
years, this is no longer a holiday, but rather a huge festival or a "Maha Utsav."
The whole administrative apparatus of the Election Commission of India,
paramilitary forces, citizens, administrative officials, political parties, and
candidates would have to be prepared for this massive exercise after a 5- year
hiatus. Aside from ensuring electoral coherence, this would result in
governance, allowing voters to evaluate government policies and programs at
both the state and national levels.

It would be difficult, but not impossible, for the Election Commission of India
to do this process every five years. The government of India engaged around
2,60,000 paramilitary soldiers during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Aside from
that, 10,00,000 police officers were called into duty throughout the states.

There were also about 10,00,000 voting stations around the country. Thus, if
each polling station is staffed by approximately four people, plus one BLO
(Booth Level Officer), for a total of five people, we arrive at a figure of
approximately one crore people involved in the election process. So, if all
assemblies and the Lok Sabha elections are held at the same time (once every
five years), expenditures may be saved and optimized.

DIVERSE REPORTS

The 79th report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice
proposed a two- phase election timetable, the first concurrent with Lok Sabha
elections and the second at the Lok-Sabha mid term. The report also suggested
that in order to hold early election to the Lok-Sabha and state legislative
assemblies, one of two conditions must be met:
 1. (i) a motion for an early general election must be agreed to by at least
two-thirds of all members of the House; or
2. (ii) (ii) a no-confidence motion must be passed by the House, with no
alternative government being confirmed within 14 days of passing a
confidence motion.

The report found that such change was "important for India if it is to compete
with other nations in the developmental agenda on a real-time basis as a robust,
democratic country".

In its 170th report (1999), the Law Commission of India proposed that Lok
Sabha and State Legislative elections be held simultaneously. It proposed that
elections for legislative assemblies, whose terms finish six months after the
national elections for the Lok Sabha, be combined. However, the results of such
elections might be announced at the conclusion of the assembly's term.

The Election Commission also expressed its principled support for simultaneous
elections.

WHAT SIMULTANEOUS ELECTIONS COULD MEAN FOR

THE COUNTRY
Currently, there are about 5-7 elections to the State Assemblies every year
(Debroy and Desai 2017). Such a situation ends up adversely impacting the
processes of development and governance, with political parties driven by short
term populist measures to win elections instead of structural reforms which may
be more beneficial for the public from a longer term perspective. Similarly,
continual elections and the lack of a legislative calendar also cause a disparity in
the parliamentary proceedings.
According to Article 85, there should not be a gap of more than 6 months
between any two Parliamentary sessions. Every year the Winter Sessions
usually begin in the month of November and are held till December. But the
session got delayed most recently in 2018 and could not begin in November due
to elections in the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan,
and Telangana. The lack of a fixed legislative calendar in India, unlike other
countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, has led to
several disruptions in the Parliamentary proceedings over the years, thus leading
to delays in matters of urgency (Roy and Kakkar 2017). The central
government along with the respective state governments bear huge expenditures
in conducting and supervising elections every year. There is also massive
spending by political parties during the election campaigning. According to a
report (‘Poll Expenditure: The 2019 Elections’) by the Centre for Media
Studies, the 2019 Lok Sabha election in India emerged to be the most expensive
election anywhere ever. The report estimated that around INR 55,000 crores (8
billion USD) was spent during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections itself (CMS 2019).
This is just an indication of the significant outflow of money every year during
elections in India. Thus, it is argued that holding one election would help create
a situation in which political parties would not require recurrent funding for
elections and this, in turn, would reduce manipulative practices attached to
raising money by political parties (Kapoor 2019). Moreover, simultaneous
elections would be cost-effective for the government to save taxpayers’ money
and enhance fiscal balance which could be utilized in other development
projects.
Apart from being costly and time-consuming, elections also involve a huge
number of polling officials and security forces for their smooth functioning.
While the deployment of polling officials is still for a smaller duration
(typically a few days before and after the day of voting and few days before and
after the day of counting), the deployment of security forces, particularly the
Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) , is normally throughout the elections and
they remain mobile from one place to another (Debroy and Desai 2017). The
recent Lok Sabha had over 2.7 lakh paramilitary personnel along with more
than 20 lakh state police personnel and home guards (PTI 2019). Considering
there has not been even a single year without elections in India in recent times,
there is an engagement of security forces and state police forces for a prolonged
period of time, that could have been deployed for other internal security
concerns.

CRITICISM FOR SIMULTANEOUS ELECTIONS

Even though simultaneous polls have their benefits, they have their own sets of
problems. Critics have argued that holding simultaneous elections dramatically
shrinks the choices of the electorate (Kumar 2019). This could lead to ‘national
issues’ getting importance over local ones, which would benefit the national
parties over regional or local parties. Thus simultaneous elections would benefit
larger national parties at the cost of regional parties in what would be a
“national wave in favour of large national parties” (Debroy and Desai 2017:
20). This would weaken the federal democratic structure of the country and
undermine the depth and breadth of Indian democracy.

The main counter argument of conducting simultaneous elections is the

question of feasibility. Simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and State
Legislative Assemblies is difficult to implement due to the Constitutional
arrangement. Neither the Lok Sabha nor the State Legislative Assemblies could
be prematurely dissolved to synchronize General Elections to Lok Sabha and
State Legislative Assemblies (Parliament of India 2015). In such a case, the
only possible option is to adjust the terms of many state assemblies, with either
extension or curtailment of existing tenures, which is clearly undesirable. There
is also a major operational challenge, considering logistics, security and
manpower resource requirements, which makes it practically difficult to
conduct elections at such a massive scale.
Another argument against the idea of simultaneous elections is that it could
influence the voters’ behaviour with many cases where voters have voted for the
same parties to the State Assemblies and
Lok Sabha when such elections did take place simultaneously. Such situations
could lead to national issues influencing voting behaviour even in State
Assembly elections. An analysis by IDFC Institute5 shows that on average,
there is a 77% chance that the Indian voter will vote for the same party for both
the State and Centre when elections are held simultaneously. On the other hand,
frequent election cycles offer a measure of accountability as various local and
state-level issues influence the elections from time to time.

CONCLUSION

Elections to all three levels of constitutional institutions should ideally take

place in a synchronized and coordinated manner, as implied by the term
"simultaneous elections," or preferably simultaneous elections. This essentially
means that votes are cast on a single day to elect representatives to every level
of government. "The best persons available must be picked to serve as the
people's representatives in order to properly rule the nation if democracy is to
continue. The greatest candidates for this are men with strong moral and ethical
principles who secure a majority of the vote. Therefore, in a healthy democracy,
voters should have the option to select none of the aforementioned buttons, as
this will force the political parties to select a sound option.10

The concept of "one nation, one election" offers many advantages, but it also
has certain drawbacks. If the parliament could remove all obstacles to the
program's implementation in India, it would have a self-healing effect on the
nation's economy. In conclusion, the government has not yet given a
comprehensive breakdown of all the difficulties associated with having
elections at the same time. Forming an expert committee to look into all facets
of this complex public policy issue is a great idea, but it has to be carefully
thought through and agreed upon.

ALL THE BEST EVERYONE

For further Research

Debroy, Bibek, and Kishore Desai, (2017). Analysis of simultaneous elections: The ‘What’,
‘Why’ and ‘How’. NITI Aayog Discussion Paper.
https://niti.gov.in/writereaddata/files/document_publication/Note%20on%20Simultaneous%2
0Elections. pdf

Election Commission of India, (1984). First Annual Report (1983). Election Commission of
India, GoI. https://eci.gov.in/files/file/7447-first-annual-report-1983/

Kapoor, Siddharth, (2019). “Why ‘One Nation, One Poll’ needs greater consensus.”
Observer Research Foundation June 27, 2019. https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/why-
one-nation-one-poll-idea-needs-greater-consensus-52451/

Kumar, Alok Prasanna, (2019). “One nation one election’ in India: Difficult to see tangible
benefits, but list of drawbacks continues to grow.” Firstpost June 20 2019.
https://www.firstpost.com/india/simultaneous-elections-in-india-hard-to-see-any-benefits-but-
list-of- drawbacs-continues-to-grow-4332007.htm

Laksano, Fajar, and Oly Viana Agustine, (2013). “Election Design Following the Constitution
Court Decision.” Constitutional Review 2(2): 216-233.

Law Commission of India, (2018). Draft Report on Simultaneous Elections. New Delhi: Law
Commission of India, GoI.
http://www.lawcommissionofindia.nic.in/reports/Simultaneous_Elections.pdf

Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs, (2002). Report of the National Commission to
Review the Working of the Constitution (Volume I). Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of
Law, Justice and Company Affairs.
http://legalaffairs.gov.in/sites/default/files/chapter%2011.pdf

Parliament of India, (2015). Seventy Ninth Report: Feasibility of holding simultaneous

elections to Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. Parliament of India, Rajya Sabha.
http://164.100.47.5/newcommittee/reports/EnglishCommittees/Committee%20on%20Person
nel,%20 PublicGrievances,%20Law%20and%20Justice/79.pdf

Panda, Baijayant ‘Jay’, (2016). “One nation, two elections: How to stop parties from always
being in campaign mode and get them to govern” Times of India December 21 2016.
https://timesofindia.com/blogs/one-nation-two-elections-how-to-stop-parties-from-always-
being-in- campaign-mode-and-get-them-to-govern/

PRS Legislative Research, (2019). Functioning of 16th Lok Sabha (2014-2019). PRS
Legislative Research.

https://www.prsindia.org/parliamenttrack/vital-stats/functioning-16th-lok-sabha-2014-2019

PTI, (2019). “Election 2019: 2.7 Lakh Paramilitary, 20 Lakh State Police Personnel Deployed
For Lok Sabha Polls.” Bloomberg Quint April 28 2019.
https://www.bloombergquint.com/elections/election-2019-27-lakh- paramilitary-20-lakh-state-
police-personnel-deployed-for-lok-sabha-polls
Rao, Prianka, (2016). Feasibility of holding simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and State
Legislative Assemblies. New Delhi: PRS Legislative Research. www.prs.org/standing
committee report summary/ simultaneous elections

Roy, Chakshu, and Jhalak Kakkar, (2017). “When Parliament meets.” Indian Express,
November 24, 2017. https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/parliament-winter-session-
delay-congress-november- december-assembly-elections-4951659/

Sinha, Roshni, (2018). Law Commission Report Summary: Draft Report on Simultaneous
Elections. New Delhi: PRS Legislative Research. www.prsindia.org/content/draft-
report/simultaneous elections

Sinha, Roshni, (2019). “Model Code of Conduct and the 2019 General Elections”. PRS India
Blog March 11, 2019. https://prsindia.org/theprsblog/model-code-conduct-and-2019-general-
elections