Another step towards 'one nation, one election'? PMO mulls single electoral roll

In what appears to be a crucial step towards making Narendra Modi's 'one nation, one election' dream come true, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) reportedly held a meeting earlier this month to discuss the prospects of preparing a single electoral roll for all elections.

The meeting pondered the possibilities of a common voters' list that can be used for local body, state assembly and Lok Sabha elections, The Indian Express reported on Saturday.

The meeting, held on August 13, was reportedly chaired by PM's principal secretary P K Mishra. The Indian Express report stated that the meeting considered two possibilities- a constitutional amendment to Articles 243K and 243ZA or to persuade the states tweak their laws regarding the elections and adopt to the Central Election Commission's voters list for local body elections.

At present, the Election Commission prepares the electoral roll or voter list for Lok Sabha and assembly polls. The state election commissions, which are altogether separate bodies as per constitutional provisions, hold elections for local bodies such as municipalities and panchayats in their respective states based on their own voter lists.

Several state election commissions use the draft voter list of the EC to formulate their own rolls. The draft EC roll is often divided into wards for local body elections.

There are provisions in the Constitution that empower states to formulate their own laws to hold panchayat and municipal polls. States also have powers to either have their own voter lists or to adopt the one prepared by the EC for assembly polls.

In the past, the PM had held meetings to discuss the 'one nation, one election' plan, or simultaneous parliamentary and assembly polls.

The BJP had pitched for a uniform electoral roll in its election manifesto for Lok Sabha elections held last year. The manifesto also said that BJP was committed to the idea of simultaneous elections for parliament, state assemblies and local bodies.

The election commission has repeatedly said it was capable of holding simultaneous elections provided the legal framework and logistics were in place. Most of the political parties have, however, not warmed up to the idea citing various reasons besides arguing that it would not be good for democracy

However, in last November, the CEC had said simultaneous polls, or 'one nation, one election', was "not happening very shortly" unless political parties sit together and evolve consensus and bring about requisite amendments in law.

He said simultaneous elections were in practice in the country till 1967, before a "cyclic imbalance" was created due to dissolution of some state assemblies, among other reasons.

The Election Commission, the Law Commission and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Personnel Ministries have supported the idea of a single voter list in the past also.

In a letter written to the government in November 1999, the Election Commission had said that separate rolls prepared by the EC and State ECs "not only create confusion among the electors because their names may be present in one roll but absent in the other, or vice versa, but also result in duplication of effort and expenditure."

In its report on Demands for Grants (2016-17) of the Law Ministry, the standing committee had also pointed out that as of now, the EC and State Election Commissions have separate electoral rolls.

"They carry out registration of voters and updation of electoral rolls separately. The numbers of voters in their electoral rolls usually vary," it had said.

(With inputs from PTI)