Synchronizing Democracy Through One Nation One Election: Reform for Efficiency or Engineered Consensus?”

INTRODUCTION:

The One Nation, One Election Bill (ONOE), formally introduced as the 129th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2024, represents a watershed moment in India’s electoral history. It seeks to synchronise the elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, thereby reviving a practice followed in the early years from 1951 to 1967. The initiative, endorsed by a High-Level Committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, is projected by the government to enhance administrative efficiency, reduce fiscal and environmental costs, and minimise governance disruptions caused by frequent elections. It is also expected to foster a unified national vision by aligning the country’s democratic cycles.

AIM OF THE EVENT:

The proposal has generated intense debate within legal, political, and academic circles. Former Chief Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and J.S. Khehar have affirmed its constitutional viability but has also emphasised the necessity of safeguards to prevent the concentration of “unbridled powers” in the Election Commission. While advocates highlight its potential to save billions of rupees, administrative resources, and promote stable policy cycles, critics caution that such a sweeping change may dilute regional representation, centralised political authority, and overshadow local governance issues, thereby altering the balance of India’s federal structure.

Against this backdrop, the Constitutional Law Society, NLUO, is organising a panel discussion on the theme “Synchronizing Democracy Through One Nation One Election: Reform for Efficiency or Engineered Consensus?”. The session aims to bring together eminent jurists, policymakers, and scholars to critically examine the constitutional underpinnings, logistical feasibility, and democratic safeguards surrounding ONOE. The discussion will not only consider the reform’s efficiency claims but also its potential impact on political pluralism and the voter’s democratic experience. By engaging with both the promises and perils of this electoral restructuring, the panel aims to contribute to an informed and balanced discourse on one of the most consequential constitutional reforms of our time.

ABOUT OUR PANELISTS:

Ms. Yamini Aiyar is currently a Senior Visiting Fellow, Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia and Watson Institute, Brown University. She was the President and Chief Executive of the Centre for Policy Research, a leading multidisciplinary think tank in New Delhi from 2017-2024. Ms Aiyar’s work sits at the intersection of research and policy practice. During her tenure she spearheaded the establishment of two important new research initiatives within CPR on State capacity and Politics. Prior to becoming President, she set up the Accountability Initiative at CPR known for its work on governance, social accountability and expenditure tracking in social Policy. Her research interests span the fields of contemporary politics, state capacity, welfare policy, federalism and India’s political economy. She is also a part of a number of boards and advisory committees of research centers and non-profits such as Advisory Committee, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, Member, United Nations Committee of the Experts on Public Administration and Member, Chief Minister’s Rajasthan Economic Transformation Advisory Council (2022-2023) to name a few. She has been widely published across national and international journals and is a regular columnist in the Hindustan Times and Deccan Herald.

Dr Asha Sarangi is a Professor of Political Science at the Centre for Political Studies, School of Social Sciences in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She did her PhD from University of Chicago, USA, where she was awarded the COSAS Fellowship for her work. She is also the recipient of the Social Scientist Award under the Indo-French Cultural Exchange Programme given by the University Grant Commission. Her areas of interest include political and cultural economy of development in modern India, identity and politics in South Asia and more specifically linguistic nationalism in modern India. She has written for several academic journals such as Taylor & Francis, EPW and the India Review. She has also authored several books on language and identity politics in India as well.

Mr Yashwant Deshmukh is a senior Journalist and Psephologist. For more than 25 years he has been inseparable part of Political and Elections coverage in Indian Media and has appeared extensively on almost all the leading News Channels including Aaj Tak, ABP, Times Now, Zee, Republic, India Today, BBC, CNN18, TV9, News24 and number of vernacular networks. He is the founder-director of C-Voter, one of the leading international Public Opinion and Stakeholder research agencies with expertise in working on assignments related to democratization, disaster mitigation and conflict resolution. A first-generation entrepreneur, he has travelled in more than 40 countries working in a number of transitional states and societies across Asia, America, Europe and Africa. Yashwant Deshmukh is an accomplished speaker, mentor, coach and trainer for media and communications students. His regular research workshops are attended by hundreds of students in many International as well as Indian universities.

The Panel Discussion shall take place on 12th September 2025, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. It shall take place virtually and shall witness participation from students all over the nation.