ADR organised a webinar on "Simultaneous Elections: A Necessity or a Distraction” on 04th December 2024 (Wednesday) at 04:00 PM (IST).

Webinar Agenda: https://adrindia.org/sites/default/files/Webinar%20Agenda-%2004th%20December%202024.pdf 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ7pKJsqHR0  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1723072221881118

The focus points for the webinar were as follows:

1. Does One Nation One Election (ONOE) save resources (money, time, and human resources)?
2. Is ONOE an attempt at changing the character of the Constitution by violating the basic structure of the Constitution which has been held to be inviolable by the Supreme Court of India? Given that five articles of the Constitution will require amendments i.e., Articles 83, 85, 172, 174, and 356.
3. Will it change the Federal structure of the constitution to the Unitary structure?
4. Will ONOE reduce the expenditure involved in election campaigns by political parties?
5. Is the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) enforced in the run-up to elections really an interference in governance?
6. Would it mean artificially cutting short or extending the terms of the elected assemblies which strikes at the root of Parliamentary Democracy? If the Central Government falls, will all state assembly elections be held again? 
7. The economics & logistics of ONOE: Should the nation be marching towards the 'most effective democracy' or the 'least expensive democracy'?

Moderator: Prof Jagdeep Chhokar (Founder Member & Trustee of ADR)

Speakers:

1. Shri O.P. Rawat (former Chief Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India)
2. Shri P.D.T. Achary (former Secretary General, Lok Sabha)
3. Ms Preeti Sharma Menon (National Executive Member and National Spokesperson, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP))
4. Dr Niranjan Sahoo (Senior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation (ORF))