One Nation One Election threatens federal structure, says The Hindu

The One Nation, One Election (ONOE) proposal fundamentally misunderstands India's parliamentary system and poses an existential threat to its federal architecture, according to an opinion piece in The Hindu. The proposal, which aims to synchronise national and State elections, prioritises administrative convenience over democratic substance, the article argues.

The piece contends that imposing a fixed-term electoral calendar undermines parliamentary accountability, as governments that lose confidence cannot be replaced by a full-term elected one. It warns that resorting to President's Rule instead of fresh elections would erode citizens' voting power and create lame-duck administrations. Dissolving stable State governments to align with the national election clock would be a direct assault on regional democratic sovereignty.

The article also says synchronising elections would allow national parties with larger resources to overshadow regional players, blurring the distinct boundaries between local and national issues. It argues that the parliamentary system is inherently flexible, and that the current staggered election cycle is a natural outcome of governments falling at different times when they lost legislative majorities.