Ram Nath Kovind on One Nation One Election: People vote for governance, not polls

Former President Ram Nath Kovind, who led the high-level committee on “One Nation, One Election,” said that the concept of simultaneous polls is rooted in India’s electoral history.

Speaking at Agenda Aaj Tak, his first interview since leaving Rashtrapati Bhavan, he said that people cast their ballots for governance and not for polls. He argued that voters cast their ballots with governance in mind, not with the expectation that governments will remain preoccupied with elections.

Using Rajasthan as an example, Kovind highlighted the impact of frequent elections on governance. “By the end of 2023, Rajasthan held assembly elections, and the new government took charge. The bureaucracy was reshuffled, and people began approaching the government to remind them of the promises made during the campaign,” he said.

“But the response from those in power was to wait until the Lok Sabha elections were over. That cycle ended by July 2024, and by early 2026, panchayat elections will begin. After that, the focus will shift to the next assembly elections in 2028. In this process, years are wasted on elections,” he added.

‘SIMULTANEOUS POLLS HELD BETWEEN 1952-67’
He said that the concept dates back to the simultaneous elections held between 1952 and 1967. “At that time, Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections were conducted together,” he said. “Later, disruptions occurred, and the system changed.”

Kovind said the idea has often been misunderstood in current discourse. “The Constitution, as it stands today, allows for multiple elections. But many people I spoke with observed that in every five-year cycle, four years are spent in electoral processes,” he said.

‘COULD BOOST GDP BY 1-1.15%’
Ram Nath Kovind said the committee he led included NK Singh, an economist who assembled a group to study the cost of elections in India.

He stated that elections currently cost between Rs 5 and 5.5 lakh crore. Implementing simultaneous elections, he said, could reduce this to Rs 50,000 crore.

“These savings, he argued, could boost GDP growth, curb inflation, and direct funds toward industrial growth. Overall, it is estimated that India’s GDP could see a rise of 1 to 1.5 percent,” he said.

‘NOT BJP’s BRAINCHILD’
He also addressed concerns that the concept is being viewed as a BJP-driven initiative. “It is not the BJP’s brainchild,” he said. “It is a vision of our founding fathers. If simultaneous elections were not their intention, they would not have structured the system to allow governments to remain in power for five years.”

Kovind emphasised the significance of the committee formed to examine the proposal. “The government constituted the committee, and we submitted our report to the President. I see it as a great service to the people,” he said.

When asked about criticisms from some political parties that simultaneous elections are “unconstitutional,” Kovind referred to the Preamble of the Constitution. “The Preamble declares that ‘we, the people of India, solemnly resolved’ several principles, including justice. But while speaking of justice, are we not doing injustice to the masses by keeping the system as it is?” he said.