Topic: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.
3. Frequent elections in the country are a costly affair, in this context do you think simultaneous elections can prove to be an effective solution? What are the issues involved? Discuss. (250 words)
Reference: Indian Express
Why the question:
The article deals with the issue frequent elections in the country and highlights the need for debate on the idea of “one nation, one election”.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss the effectiveness and possibility of simultaneous elections in our country.
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start with need for debate on one nation one election.
Body:
Discuss the issues in the election system; the major issues – Financial costs of conducting elections, Cost of repeated administrative freezes, Cost of repeated administrative freezes, Campaign and finance costs of political parties, Question of regional/smaller parties having a level playing field etc.
Then suggest solutions in terms of simultaneous elections.
Conclusion:
As the elections in four states and one Union territory in March-April are suspected to have contributed to the second wave of Covid infections, a well-reasoned debate on a concept as important as “one nation, one election” is called for.
