Asli Kahani’s Post

As J&K prepares for its first assembly elections in a decade, the likelihood of a fractured mandate raises concerns about governance stability. India should consider introducing a "Recall" mechanism in such unpredictable political climates. This would give citizens the power to remove underperforming representatives, ensuring accountability between elections. With shifting alliances and regional complexities, Recall could enhance democratic integrity and encourage more responsible governance. It's time to empower voters beyond just election day. https://lnkd.in/gJpHKSi7

West Bengal had the highest turnout in the 2024 general elections. Often even hovering around 80 per cent, over seven phases. How does one interpret voters stepping out in such huge numbers in the scorching heat? General perception is it conveys a mood to dislodge the establishment. Only, the establishment in West Bengal equally means Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP at the Centre, and Mamata Banerjee’s TMC, with solid hold at the ground-level in the state. That is, ever since Mamata held back BJP to a mere 77 seats in the 2021 Assembly elections, while Modi’s campaign was aimed at crossing 200, coined the same way as “400 paar!” He was looking to expand his party’s influence in the state, post their jump in general elections from three to 18 seats, between the 2014 and 2019 
general elections. From Mamata’s end, the 2021 shadow-campaign was effectively managed by political aide Prashant Kishorand his team at the consultancy firm, I-PAC. While these polls were still on, Kishor — now a politician in Bihar — stuck his neck out on record to say the BJP will deliver a major surprise; emerging as the single largest party in West Bengal. That’s not how West Bengal voted. It’s semi-safe to suggest they stepped out of homes in such large numbers to check the rise of BJP, instead. Voting resolutely in favour of Mamata over Modi… Deciphering elections in Bengal; link: https://lnkd.in/dYfnm9nJ

The contentious proposal of “one nation, one election” is critically examined. The interwoven relationship between elections, social cleavages, federal balance, and the potential implications of simultaneous elections for democratic (in)stability in India is explored. In doing so, comparative literature on concurrent elections is studied to assuage its merits and demerits, and better understand the implications for a country like India. https://lnkd.in/gURiyfTc

The British General Elections 2024; Conducted in single phase and the results declared within 24 hours. 1. Elections for the 650 seats of House of Commons (equivalent of Lok Sabha) of the British Parliament took place in a single phase, yesterday. 2. ⁠The voting took place on Ballot Papers and people could vote till 10 pm, BST. 3. ⁠The results are counted immediately and the first results are declared usually within an hour i.e. by 11 pm. 4. ⁠The counting goes on throughout the night and the vast majority of seats are declared by 9 am, BST, on Friday. 5. ⁠Thus, results for Elections to the 650 seats of the British House of Commons, conducted on Ballot Papers, are declared, within 24 hours. 6. ⁠There’s no National body like ECI that keeps the count of seats. The Returning Officers are responsible to conduct the elections and declare results for their respective constituencies. 7. ⁠The Media and the journalists are present at the count of the votes alongwith the Candidates, their agents and observers. 8. ⁠The House of Commons Library collects the data and verifies it and declares the results, a week after the Elections. The British Electoral Commission publishes a report on the election and provides data on the results and constituency wise and aggregate turnout. The Labour Party led by Keir Starmer has won the Elections with a landslide winning about 410 of 650 seats. The Paper Ballot is the sacrosanct method of Elections in the West ably aided by the Highest Order of Transparency. We can borrow the best of the structures form the West, but not their behavioural attributes.

The Union Cabinet has given the green light to hold simultaneous elections across India, coordinating the polls for both the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. This announcement was made by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday. The approval follows extensive discussions and a report submitted by a high-level committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, which was tasked with exploring the "one nation, one election" concept. The report, presented to the Cabinet, outlines a detailed plan for implementing concurrent elections. The committee proposed that the first phase should involve synchronizing elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, followed by local body elections within a 100-day timeframe. The proposal seeks to streamline the election process, which currently takes place at different levels of government over several years, and to reduce the financial and administrative strain caused by frequent elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a vocal advocate of the simultaneous election model. In his Independence Day speech earlier this year, Modi emphasized that frequent elections disrupt the nation’s progress, linking various government schemes and initiatives to election cycles. He called for a solution to the “disruption” caused by polls held every few months, stating, "Frequent elections are creating hurdles in the progress of the nation. Every work is linked to elections." The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also emphasized the "one nation, one election" policy in its manifesto for the 2024 general elections. While the idea has garnered support within the BJP, its reception among other political parties remains uncertain. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge voiced his opposition, stating, “We don't stand with this. One Nation One Election cannot work in a democracy. Elections need to be held as and when required if we want our democracy to survive." The Law Commission of India is expected to release its report on the matter soon. The committee suggested up to 18 constitutional amendments to facilitate the change, most of which do not require approval from state Assemblies. However, certain changes, such as the introduction of a single electoral roll and a unified voter ID system, would need ratification by at least half of India's states. These amendments would also need to be passed by Parliament. follow Narad Nama ( Narad News Media Studio ) for regular news updates #narad #news #India

'One Nation, One Election' : Union Cabinet Accepts Recommendations Of High-Level Committee On... Summary Here’s a concise bullet-point summary with fitting emojis: 📋 Cabinet Decision: The Union Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister, accepted recommendations for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and local bodies. 📜 Committee Report: In March, a High-Level Committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind submitted its report advocating "one nation, one election." 👥 Committee Members: Included Home Minister Amit Shah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, NK Singh, Subhash Kashyap, Harish Salve, and Sanjay Kothari. 💼 Stakeholders Affected: The report highlighted the burden on government, businesses, courts, political parties, and civil society. 🗳️ Proposed Synchronization: The Committee recommended synchronizing elections via Article 82A to align Lok Sabha and State Assembly terms. 🕰️ Term Adjustments: State Assemblies elected post-implementation of Article 82A would end alongside the Lok Sabha. ⚙️ Implementation Group: A group is proposed to manage the execution of the recommendations. 🚨 No-confidence Motion: In case of a hung house or no-confidence motion, fresh elections will be held, but the new government will serve only the remaining term. 🏛️ Local Body Elections: Article 324A is proposed to synchronize local body elections with national and state elections.

The British General Elections 2024; Conducted in single phase and the results declared within 24 hours. 1. Elections for the 650 seats of House of Commons (equivalent of Lok Sabha) of the British Parliament took place in a single phase, yesterday. 2. ⁠The voting took place on Ballot Papers and people could vote till 10 pm, BST. 3. ⁠The results are counted immediately and the first results are declared usually within an hour i.e. by 11 pm. 4. ⁠The counting goes on throughout the night and the vast majority of seats are declared by 9 am, BST, on Friday. 5. ⁠Thus, results for Elections to the 650 seats of the British House of Commons, conducted on Ballot Papers, are declared, within 24 hours. 6. ⁠There’s no National body like ECI that keeps the count of seats. The Returning Officers are responsible to conduct the elections and declare results for their respective constituencies. 7. ⁠The Media and the journalists are present at the count of the votes alongwith the Candidates, their agents and observers. 8. ⁠The House of Commons Library collects the data and verifies it and declares the results, a week after the Elections. The British Electoral Commission publishes a report on the election and provides data on the results and constituency wise and aggregate turnout. The Labour Party led by Keir Starmer has won the Elections with a landslide winning about 410 of 650 seats. The Paper Ballot is the sacrosanct method of Elections in the West ably aided by the Highest Order of Transparency. We can borrow the best of the structures form the West, but not their behavioural attributes. # Raju Parulekar Political Analyst

The 2024 elections are the first elections post 1994 wherein independent candidates will have a chance to be voted to the National Assembly and Provincial legislatures.This is following the landmark case of New National Movement NPC v President of Republic of South Africa(2020),however my view is that though the changes are historic they make no much changes to the country's electoral reform as the outcome of the now amended electoral Act benefits political parties as it was the case in the past. There is an introduction of a new ballot to accommodate independents referred to as a Regional ballot at National and an accommodation of independents in a ballot in the province however the structure of the end product clearly benefits parties represented in parliament.I do not believe that those who Advocated for this change would have imagined such changes which will not make much differences as it is the case now,it is safe to say parties represented in parliament made an excellent Job to ensure they still hold authority in RSA politics .It was highly unlikely for them to create something that harms their political authority,it was not shocking they even did not meet the 24 months initial deadline to fix the unconstitutional clause as ordered by the court before because they never wanted such changes anyway.Though the elections are historic,political parties still remain an authoritative voice in SA politics.Many would have anticipated a constituency based model as done in other countries like Zimbabwe however it was not to be,and we are unlikely to even see such during our lifetime.The fact that the Independents are contesting elections using the PR system is reason enough to see why law makers did an excellent Job to maintain the status quo. I do not see any independent candidate making it to any house of parliament after the elections because of how counting is done as well.There was absolutely no need for an extra ballot.The doctorine of separation of powers benefited this end product,no matter what.A court will never do the Job of the legislature in terms of Law making.

📰 Breaking News: "One Nation, One Election" Receives Cabinet Nod On September 18th, the Union cabinet set the ball rolling to hold simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha, State assemblies and local government bodies. This initiative aims to synchronize national and state elections, reducing the frequency of elections and the associated costs. Implementation Of One Nation, One Election: ➡ The First Amendment towards the transition to simultaneous elections will require a 'simple majority' of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Two conditions under Article 368 need to be satisfied to move forward. ➡ The Second Amendment will ensure that the elections of local bodies (municipalities and panchayats) are held within 100 days of simultaneous polls. This policy is being introduced as the government has had it on its agenda for decades, aiming for political stability, better governance, and reduced electoral fatigue. Key benefits include improved efficiency, cost savings, and a unified election approach, which can streamline governance and reduce public expenses. Drawbacks of this policy: ➡Constitutional and Legal Hurdles: Significant constitutional amendments would be needed, requiring broad political consensus, which might face resistance. ➡ National vs. Local Issues: National issues could dominate the election discourse, leading to less attention on local and regional matters important to states. ➡Dominance of National Parties: National parties might gain an advantage over regional parties, diminishing the latter’s influence and representation. ➡Cost of Aligning Election Cycles: Shortening or extending the terms of state assemblies for alignment would be costly and politically contentious. ➡Frequent By-Elections: Political instability could still lead to frequent by-elections, partially defeating the goal of reducing election frequency. ➡Regional Disparities: Regional issues and smaller states may lose significance as national campaigns dominate the conversation. ➡Voter Confusion: Voters might get overwhelmed by managing three-tier elections at once, leading to potential confusion in their choices. This has a huge psychological cost. #OneNationOneElection #IndianPolitics #Governance #Policy #Elections #India