1.
Strengthening Democracy, Not Just Efficiency
● Democracy is not merely about cost-cutting; it’s about deliberation,
accountability, and choice.
● Staggered elections ensure that public discourse remains continuous,
rather than compressed into one massive election cycle. This allows
citizens to engage meaningfully with issues state by state.
2. Federalism and Local Priorities
● India’s Constitution envisions a federal structure where states are not
administrative units but sovereign entities within the Union.
● Staggered elections allow regional issues—like floods in Assam or
farmer distress in Punjab—to get due attention, rather than being
overshadowed by national narratives.
● Synchronizing all elections risks centralizing power, eroding the spirit of
“unity in diversity.”
3. Preventing the “Nationalization” of Politics
● In a single nationwide election, national issues and central leadership
dominate.
● This marginalizes regional parties and local concerns, weakening the
diversity of India’s democratic voices.
● Staggered polls help sustain multi-party democracy, where smaller parties
and regional leaders retain space to represent local aspirations.
4. Media & Voter Attention
● With ONOE, media coverage would be stretched thin—thousands of
candidates competing for airtime at once.
● Scientific studies indicate that more frequent holding of elections tips the
scale towards more populace turn out. If the care taken by ONOE is to
eliminate as many general elections as possible, there is likelihood that
citizens’ participation will be greatly reduced due to likely disassociation
from local affairs. (Source: International Journal
For Legal Research and
Analysis[https://www.ijlra.com/details/the-impact-of-one-nation-one-
election-on-political-accountability-and-voter-engagement-in-india-a-
comparative-study-by-priyanshi-manyura]
● Staggered elections allow focused media attention, ensuring voters can
make informed choices instead of being drowned in noise.
5. Accountability and Course Correction
● Robert Dahl has noted that a key characteristic of democracy is the
holding of election from which citizens can be able to vote in, or vote out
representatives that will shape governments’ actions. As the system
operative in the current context of India, staggered elections afford
multiple check points across the layers of governance so that voters can
judge their leaders consistently.(Source: International Journal For
Legal Research and
Analysis[https://www.ijlra.com/details/the-impact-of-one-nation-one-
election-on-political-accountability-and-voter-engagement-in-india-a-
comparative-study-by-priyanshi-manyura]
● The potential of having long term presidential rule in states when
governments collapse mid term under ONOE opens a dangerous can of
governance deficit. Such periods could still weaken accountability, as
appointed officials might sit in for elected members during such periods
as administrators.
● If all elections were held at once, governments would face accountability
only once in five years. Staggered polls keep politicians on their toes.
● South Africa, elections to the National Assembly and the provincial
legislatures take place concurrently after every five years. On the one
hand, this system guarantees stability; however, others opine that it cuts
the possibility of the provincial governments’ responsibilities, as national
concerns prevail on the electoral list.
(Source: International Journal For Legal Research and
Analysis[https://www.ijlra.com/details/the-impact-of-one-nation-one-
election-on-political-accountability-and-voter-engagement-in-india-a-
comparative-study-by-priyanshi-manyura]
6. Case Studies & Expert Views
● Law Commission of India (2018) flagged serious constitutional and
logistical hurdles. Simultaneous elections would entail procurement of
more EVMs. Incremental requirement of EVMs gives rise to another
problem regarding their storage. The ECI has stated that there is already a
shortage of warehousing facilities and many States and UTs are forced to
store the EVMs in private buildings and educational institutions. There
will be a demand for more number of secured and conveniently located
warehouses. (Source: Department of Legal Affairs [
https://legalaffairs.gov.in/sites/default/files/simultaneous_elections/L
CI_2018_DRAFT_REPORT.pdf ] )
● Y.V. Reddy (Former RBI Governor) argued that staggered elections
strengthen public debate and prevent democratic processes from being
reduced to a single wave election.
● Political scientists note that in countries like the U.S., staggered elections
(midterms, gubernatorial, local) ensure healthy checks on executive
power.
7. Costs vs. Democracy
● While ONOE may reduce expenditure, democracy is not to be measured
only in rupees and logistics.
● Election Commission Of India further informed that as of now there is a
shortfall of about 12.9 lakh Ballot Units, 9.4 lakh Control Units and
about 12.3 lakh VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) , if
simultaneous elections are to be held. (Source: Department
of Legal Affairs [
https://legalaffairs.gov.in/sites/default/files/simultaneous_elections/L
CI_2018_DRAFT_REPORT.pdf ] ) (Source: BBC
[https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly7vjp73zvo]
● The parties also recommended enhancing transparency in the funding
process as a better solution to addressing concerns about election costs.
● The average shelf life of an EVM is about 15 years. At the prevailing
rates, an amount of Rs.2017.93 crores for the second simultaneous
elections in 2029, will be required for procurement of EVMs. Thereafter,
keeping in view the shelf life of the EVMs, for the proposed third coming
simultaneous election in 2034, an amount of Rs.13,981.58 crores will be
required for procuring new EVMs.
(Source: Department of Legal Affairs [
https://legalaffairs.gov.in/sites/default/files/simultaneous_elections/L
CI_2018_DRAFT_REPORT.pdf ] )
● As Dr. B.R. Ambedkar reminded us: “Democracy is more than a periodic
exercise of voting. It is about continuous accountability.”
✅ Conclusion (for debate/speech):
“One Nation, One Election may sound efficient, but democracy is not a factory
where efficiency is the highest value. Staggered elections ensure accountability,
protect federalism, and keep the people’s voice alive throughout the years—not
just once every five years. In a nation as vast and diverse as India, staggered
elections are not a burden, they are a safeguard for true democracy.”
