'Diagnosis Can Be Right, But Prescription Can Be Wrong': Tharoor On Why 'One Nation, One Election' May Not Work

Shashi Tharoor questions the feasibility of 'One Nation, One Election,' highlighting potential misalignment with India's parliamentary system as the government considers synchronised elections.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday voiced his reservations about the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal, stating that while he understands the rationale behind it, the practical implementation may not align with India's parliamentary system. Tharoor's comments come as the Indian government explores the possibility of synchronizing all elections in the country.

In a video posted by news agency ANI on X, Tharoor can be heard saying, "I understand the logic of saying that why do we want to have elections every six months here and there. They are arguing that it costs money and there is a Model Code of Conduct so there will be paralysis of governance for periods of time. We understand all those arguments, but the counter is that your diagnosis can be right, but your prescription can be wrong. Your prescription cannot work in a Parliamentary system. There is no practical way in which you can implement such a system."

Tharoor highlighted the diversity of India as a major concern, pointing out that the current staggered election calendar, which evolved over the years, has its merits. He noted, "Actually, benefits from the stagnant calendar that has evolved over the years, remember from 1947 to 67, we had national and state elections at the same time, the same election calendar. It was only after some of the state governments formed after the 67 elections that coalition governments started falling, and then the national government also fell in 1970, the term was scheduled for 1972, but elections were held in 1971. Therefore, that calendar was disturbed."

He further questioned the viability of a unified calendar, saying, "That's why now, there are different calendars for different states; the same thing will happen again in the future. If you want to create artificially a kind of 1967-type of situation tomorrow, what is there to prevent the same thing?"

Tharoor stressed the need for a thorough discussion on the strategy, adding, "We need to have deep discussions over the strategy as the solution won't work. What is the point of having this much discussion over such things? Let us see if Mr. Kovind's committee can come up with some practical solutions."

With Assembly elections scheduled in five states later this year, followed by the Lok Sabha elections in May 2024, the government has established a committee under former President Ram Nath Kovind to explore the feasibility of holding all elections simultaneously. Since coming to power in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a staunch advocate of aligning the electoral cycles for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

The five states set to go to the polls in November-December this year are Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Rajasthan. However, the recent government move to consider advancing the Lok Sabha and some state polls has not found favor with the Opposition.

In 2018, the Law Commission of India submitted a draft report explaining the process that would be involved if all elections were to be conducted simultaneously, providing a basis for the ongoing discussions and deliberations on this contentious issue.

Explore further details on 'One Nation, One Election' and the comprehensive guidelines outlined in the 2018 Law Commission Draft Report for conducting simultaneous elections by clicking here.