• One nation One election (ONOE) is the concept of synchronizing the timing of Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections across all States to reduce the frequency of polls throughout the country.
• The first-ever general elections (after independence), to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies were conducted simultaneously in 1951-1952.
• The practice continued in subsequent elections until 1967, after which it was disrupted due to defections and counter-defections in state assemblies.
• The 2015 feasibility report of Election Commission of India (ECI) estimated that total of Rs 9284.15 crore is required for procurement of Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT).
• The expenditure of ₹8,000 crore over 5 years can be considered massive for maintaining free and fair elections.

Need for ONOE:

• There is lack of decisions on code of conduct during elections, so key policy decisions get delayed at the Centre, states and local bodies.
• The frequent occurrence of elections disrupts the continuity of developmental activities due to adherence to election-related codes and rules.
• The implementation of ongoing projects gets derailed during the election periods as the executive and government officials are engaged with the election duties, neglecting routine administration.
• There is a virtual paralysis of administration at various levels in varying degrees.
• Political corruption: enormous amount of money is to be raised for every election and lack of transparency leads to corrupt activities.
• Repeated deployment of forces: a large number of police personnel and para-military forces are engaged for peaceful conduct of elections.
• This involves massive redeployment, involving huge costs and diverts key enforcement personnel from their critical functions.
• Horse Trading: by elected representatives could come to an end if ONOE is implemented.
• Horse-trading refers to an incident where one political party allegedly poaches members from other parties to form a government.
• Policy decisions: Frequent elections cause governments to make policy decisions to attract voters.

Positives of ONOE:

Better utilization:

• Simultaneous elections for Parliament, State assemblies and local bodies would reduce expenditure, ensure efficient utilization of government resources and security forces.
• It enables the government to concentrate on governance once the elections are over.

Reduction in costs:

• Election expenses of political parties can be reduced drastically.
• There would be no duplication of fundraising so, public and business community could be relieved from multiple election donations.

Diversion of funds:

• ECI can divert money for election equipments, public awareness and electoral rolls, although initially more funds would be needed for infrastructure.
• The frequency of governments announcing freebies can be reduced and smaller number of elections, allows proper distribution of finances.
• This will save time and money spent on updating electoral rolls.

Ease for Citizens:

• It will make it easier for the citizens to register, find, and update names in electoral rolls once enlisted.

Concerns over ONOE:

Feasibility:

• Article 83(2): Lok Sabha''s term shall normally not exceed five years from the date of its first meeting.  
• Article 172: Every Legislative Assembly of every State shall continue for five years from the date its first meeting, unless dissolved earlier.
• Article 356: If a state government is unable to function according to Constitutional provisions, the Union government can take direct control of the state machinery.
• Collapse of Central or State governments before tenure can lead to irregularity and misgovernance.

Need for Amendments:

• Amendments to the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act 1951, and the Rules of Procedure of Lok Sabha and state Assemblies are needed for changes.
• At least 50% of the states should ratify the constitutional amendments.

Concept of federalism:

• It is established on the notion that the entire nation is one and contradicts the content of Article 1 which envisages India as a Union of States.

Logistics:

• Around 30 lakh electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines at the same time along with maintenance and new manufactures can be challenging.

Accountability of government:

• Recurrent elections are beneficial in a democracy as it allows voters to have their voices heard more frequently.
• The underlying issues of National and State polls are different and there is a need for blending of issues and ensure greater accountability.

Cost of election:

• Substantial cost is associated with frequent elections, which is more for separate elections.

There should be sufficient discussion on the issue by all political parties, involvement of research groups, and public participation. The committee set up for the purpose must have a diversity of experts from different fields and perspectives to arrive at a consensus. Even if the idea of ONOE is considered, there should be practical ways to implement it in a parliamentary democracy by complex legal and constitutional considerations. At present, Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim are held along with the Lok Sabha polls.