Electoral System Reforms in India: The Road Ahead

Key Highlights

• High-Level Committee (Sept 2023–Mar 2024) submitted a detailed roadmap for simultaneous elections; government endorsed core recommendations later in 2024. onoe
• Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 proposes an “appointed date,” synchronization mechanisms, and ECI-led simultaneous polls; referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee in Dec 2024, with deadline extensions in 2025. newsonair
• Law Commission (2018 draft) outlined constitutional changes and synchronization options; at least 50% state ratification required for certain amendments. legalaffairs
• ECI is operationalizing digital integration via ECINET for logistics, rolls, and service delivery—piloted in 2025 by-elections and slated for full roll-out in the Bihar Assembly cycle.
• Broader reform agenda includes party regulation, inner-party democracy, campaign finance transparency, MCC enforcement, and judicial fast-tracking of political cases.

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India’s electoral reform debate has re-accelerated since 2023 with the constitution of a High-Level Committee on simultaneous elections, fresh technology initiatives by the Election Commission of India (ECI), and persistent calls for decriminalization, party regulation, and campaign finance transparency. While reforms span legal, institutional, procedural, and technological dimensions, the most high-profile strand is “One Nation, One Election” (ONOE), now backed by a comprehensive committee report, a constitutional amendment proposal, and ongoing parliamentary scrutiny.

Why Electoral Reforms Matter Now

• Frequent elections fragment administrative focus, extend Model Code of Conduct (MCC) restrictions, and raise costs, prompting calls to synchronize cycles for efficiency and continuity. prsindia
• Governance, public expenditure, security deployment, and developmental timelines are directly impacted by how often and how widely polls are held.
• Parallel reform tracks target enduring issues: criminalization of politics, opaque party funding, misuse of state advertising, weak inner-party democracy, and digital-era misinformation.

Background and Milestones

• Simultaneous polls were the norm from 1951–52 to 1967; the cycle broke due to premature dissolutions and varied assembly timelines.
• Sept 2, 2023: Government constituted an 8-member High-Level Committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind to examine simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha, State Assemblies, and eventually local bodies. pib
• Mar 14, 2024: HLC submitted its 18,626-page report to the President after 191 days of consultations; 32 of 47 parties supported simultaneous elections; around 80–81% of public responses favored the idea, per official accounts.
• Dec 17–19, 2024: Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 introduced and referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for study.
• 2025: Lok Sabha extended the JPC’s report deadline, indicating ongoing deliberations and political negotiations.
• In parallel, the Law Commission’s 2018 draft report remains the foundational legal roadmap for enabling synchronization via constitutional and statutory amendments.

The ONOE Blueprint: What’s Proposed

• “Appointed Date” mechanism: Set after a general election to anchor a new national cycle from 2029; some assemblies would be extended or curtailed to align terms. pib
• Constitutional amendments: HLC indicates 18 amendments, including to Articles 83 and 172 on the duration of Parliament and State Assemblies; special provisions envisaged for local bodies and a common electoral roll under strengthened ECI authority.
• Bill architecture: Draft Article 82A(1–6) to define simultaneous elections, empower ECI scheduling, and align assembly terms with Lok Sabha’s term after the appointed date.
• Legal thresholds: Certain amendments require ratification by at least half the states; detailed synchronization options laid out by the Law Commission (2018) cover advancing or postponing select states to achieve a common cycle.

Expected Gains and Concerns

Potential gains

• Reduced election frequency: Less disruption from MCC, improved policy continuity, and lower administrative strain.
• Efficiency and cost: Economies in security deployment, logistics (EVMs/VVPATs), and public expenditure on repeated poll cycles.
• Voter convenience: Streamlined voting cycles could reduce fatigue while a common roll simplifies administration in the long run.

Implementation challenges

• Constitutional complexity: Multi-article amendments with state ratification requirements elevate legal and political thresholds.
• Federal considerations: State autonomy and mid-term instability scenarios (no-confidence, hung houses) necessitate robust fallback provisions without democratic deficits.
• Local body inclusion: Integrating municipalities and panchayats involves distinct constitutional entries and State Election Commissions, demanding phased, consensual design.

Beyond ONOE: Wider Reform Agenda

1. Decriminalization and speedy trials

• Calls for fast-track courts to conclude criminal cases against legislators within fixed timelines to prevent prolonged tenure under serious charges.

2. Inner-party democracy and party regulation

• Mandatory internal elections, transparent candidate selection, and penalties—including possible deregistration—for non-compliance have been proposed in multiple forums and academic analyses.

3. Campaign finance transparency

• Stronger disclosures by candidates and parties, clearer expenditure ceilings, rethinking state support, and closing loopholes around paid news and third-party advertising.

4. Strengthening ECI autonomy and capacity

• Financial autonomy via a charge on the Consolidated Fund of India; parity in removal safeguards for Election Commissioners; clearer MCC enforcement powers, including sanctions against repeat violators.

5. Digital and roll-management reforms

• ECINET’s integrated dashboards for voter services, roll hygiene through automated death data updates, rationalized polling stations, and consolidated tech stacks aim to enhance transparency and logistics.

6. Curbing misuse of state advertising

• Proposals to prohibit government “achievement” advertisements for months before the natural expiry of a house to prevent undue electoral advantage.

7. Clarifying candidacy and defections

• Restricting multiple-constituency contests, revisiting anti-defection adjudication mechanisms with an independent locus for decisions.

Recent Developments to Track (2024–2025)

• HLC report submission to the President (Mar 2024) and Union Cabinet’s acceptance of recommendations (Sept 18, 2024) signpost executive momentum behind ONOE.
• Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024: Referred to JPC in Dec 2024; Lok Sabha extended the deadline for the committee report in Aug 2025, underscoring ongoing stakeholder engagement and political consensus-building.
• ECI’s ECINET roll-out: Pilots during 2025 by-elections with full deployment targeted for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, focusing on service integration and logistical efficiency.

Conclusion

Electoral reforms in India are not merely technical adjustments to voting procedures; they are structural changes that shape the democratic process itself. Proposals like One Nation, One Election aim to bring efficiency, cost reduction, and policy stability, but must be balanced against India’s federal diversity, constitutional safeguards, and political realities.

While the High-Level Committee’s recommendations and the ongoing parliamentary review signal strong intent, true reform will depend on wide-based consensus among states, political parties, and civil society. The broader reform agenda—covering transparency in political finance, decriminalization of politics, inner-party democracy, and digital modernization—remains equally urgent.

For policy watchers and serious aspirants alike, electoral reforms serve as a live case study in how constitutional design, governance efficiency, political negotiation, and institutional capacity converge in shaping the future of the world’s largest democracy. The challenge ahead lies not just in legislating change, but in ensuring these reforms deepen participation, preserve democratic principles, and enhance public trust in the electoral process.

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