Is India Ready for One Nation One Poll in 2019 Year

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With the national Polls 2019 approaching, the debate over one nation one poll has again surfaced with the Prime Minister commenting that a constructive discussion has begun. Uttar Pradesh Government has come up with a report which states that it is quite feasible to have one nation one poll in May 2019.

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What is One Nation One Poll-

The holding of both assembly and parliamentary polls together is termed as one nation one poll. In simple terms one nation one Poll means the voter casts his vote to elect members of Lok Sabha and State Assembly on a single day.

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It is interesting to note that this One nation one Poll is not a new phenomenon in India. Post- Independence the political elections to the Lok Sabha and State Assembly were held simultaneously from 1951 to 1967.

Pros and Cons of One Nation One Poll-

Pros-

1. Reduction of loss to public exchequer
2. Governments can concentrate on public welfare and not get distracted by frequent elections.
3. Security forces who are deployed in large numbers during every election can be utilised elsewhere.
4. Teacher and other officers who are pressed for election duty can concentrate on their respective jobs.

Cons-

1. According to reports 77% voters opted for the same party which could give rise to favouritism
2. Local key issues will be diluted in bigger national issues
3. People have to wait for 5 full years if the current Government that they voted for does not function properly. Meanwhile Government will become insensitive to public issues.

Debates on Simultaneous Election-
While the debate on one nation one poll will continue to roll till the election in 2019, several political parties have stated several reasons as to why one nation one poll is a loss to the nation and urged the citizens to oppose this idea.