PMO discusses common electoral list for all future polls, which could be ‘One Nation, One Election’

In a crucial development, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) recently held a meeting to discuss the prospects of instituting a common voter’s list for elections to all local bodies, state assemblies and the Lok Sabha.

According to a report in The Indian Express, in the meeting, which took place on August 13, two key options were discussed. First, making amendments to Articles 243K and 243ZA in order make it mandatory to have a single electoral roll for all polls across the country, and second, to ask state governments to adopt the Election Commission’s (EC) voters list for municipal and panchayat elections.

Second, to persuade the state governments to tweak their respective laws and adopt the Election Commission’s (EC) voters list for local body polls.

The development gains significance from the fact that a common voter list for all elections ties in with the idea of simultaneous polls, an idea which PM Narendra Modi had tried to push during his first term.

Common electoral roll and simultaneous elections are also the promises made by the BJP government in its general elections manifesto in a bid to save government and administrative expenditure, and the efforts spent on frequent electioneering activity.

Various committees and institutions have time and again spoken in favour of simultaneous elections saying it will save time, money and energy. However, Indian Express had earlier quoted a former Chief Election Commissioner as saying that the change would require a massive consensus-building exercise, which may not be easy given the suspicion between the States and the Centre.

This although being a one time change, will include alot modifications in the current existing system and there are reports that it might require all the people to submit their ‘identity’ documents in order to take part in the future elections which may be an alternative for BJP to enact the NRC as it saw a huge backlash by the opposition and Muslim minority who otherwise are open to share documents.