NEW DELHI:The Election Commission, amid the ‘One Nation, One Election’ debate, rejected the government’s argument of the frequent imposition of model code disrupting development work and normal public life terming it a “vital instrumentality” that served as a crucial mechanism for ensuring electoral fairness.
The government’s legislative proposals for implementing ‘one nation, one election’ emphasise the necessity of simultaneous polls, citing financial burden and time constraints.
The constitutional amendment proposal for unified elections highlighted how the Model Code of Conduct‘s enforcement in electoral regions halts developmental programmes and affects regular activities. The proposal also notes that recurring implementation of poll codes affects service delivery and redirects staff from their primary responsibilities to electoral duties for extended periods.
The electoral body contends that viewing the MCC’s application as disruptive is inaccurate, as it serves as an essential tool for maintaining electoral equity amongst participants.
In its March 2023 response to the law commission’s questionnaire about simultaneous elections, the EC explained that the code’s applicability is linked to electoral cycles, and streamlining these would reduce the MCC’s duration.
The Commission emphasised that this voluntarily adopted code, developed through consultation with political parties, is fundamental to conducting fair elections and achieving credible results.
The EC’s perspectives on various aspects of concurrent elections, previously shared with the law commission and legal affairs department, have been made available to parliamentary committee members examining the relevant legislation. These views were also presented to the Ram Nath Kovind-led high-level committee on unified elections.
The Commission highlighted its consistent efforts to maintain the MCC period at minimum necessary duration from announcement to completion of the electoral process.
The law commission had sought the EC’s perspective regarding concerns that recurring elections cause policy stagnation due to the MCC’s implementation.