one nation one election
New Delhi: According to an expert who monitors election expenditure, implementation of ‘One Nation, One Election’ can reduce election expenditure by at least 30 percent. However, he said that this will depend on the efficiency of the Election Commission and the cooperation of political parties. N Bhaskar Rao, who has been monitoring election expenditure for three decades, said that without curbing ‘cash for vote’ or luring voters, there will not be a significant reduction in election expenditure.
Before the Lok Sabha elections this year, Rao, head of the Centre for Media Studies (CMS), had estimated that if elections were held at all levels in India in 2024, it would cost more than Rs 10 lakh crore. He said these estimates were made before the parliamentary elections and the actual figure could be much higher in future elections. Rao clarified that these figures include official expenditure figures reported by political parties to the Election Commission and the expenditure incurred by the government in conducting elections, as well as unaccounted expenditure.
Rao said, “Adopting the idea of ​​one nation, one election can lead to saving of Rs 3-5 lakh crore from the estimated election expenditure of Rs 10 lakh crore, depending on the efficiency of the Election Commission and the cooperation of political parties.” He said, “The One Nation, One Election initiative will not bring any significant reduction in election expenditure. Unless the current practices adopted by political parties regarding selection of candidates, campaigning and facilities to the current office bearers are curbed, unless the Election Commission becomes more efficient, its model code of conduct is adopted by political parties and the election schedule becomes more rational, a significant reduction in election expenditure cannot be expected.”
He said that the estimate of Rs 10 lakh crore includes the election expenditure of Lok Sabha, state assemblies and municipalities and panchayats (three levels) on the basis of a five-year term. The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the report of the high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind on holding simultaneous elections. Rao said, “Holding elections in a week instead of 2014 (36 days) and 2019 (38 days) is likely to significantly reduce election expenditure.”
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