The One Nation, One Election (ONOE) Bill in India: Challenges and Implications

• Representative democracy is a system where citizens elect representatives to make decisions.

• It balances majority rule with minority interests.

• The system thrives on periodic elections, informed citizen participation, and institutional checks and balances.

• Jayaprakash Narayan criticized parliamentary democracy for creating an ‘atomized society’.

• Narayan highlighted risks of minority governments, demagoguery, populism, centralization of power, and financial costs of elections.

• The ONOE Bill raises questions about the representative nature of Indian democracy.

• Centralisation versus federalism risks undermining the federal spirit of the Constitution.

• The bill could weaken democratic inclusivity and electoral accountability.