Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Mar 19: A working paper released by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) has estimated that implementation of the ‘One Nation One Election’ (ONOE) system could reduce deployment of polling personnel by 28 per cent—equivalent to nearly 26 lakh personnel—over a five-year election cycle.
The paper, authored by EAC-PM member Sanjeev Sanyal and Joint Director Satvik Dev, further stated that simultaneous elections could reduce polling personnel workload by an estimated 1.04 crore personnel-days during the same period.
Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha on Wednesday extended the tenure of the Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the ONOE Bill. The panel has now been asked to submit its report by the first day of the last week of the upcoming Monsoon Session.
The paper noted that although the projected reduction of 28 per cent is slightly lower than the benchmark estimate of 33 per cent, it remains significant. One key reason is its potential positive impact on the education sector.
Since a large proportion of polling personnel are school teachers and many polling stations are set up in educational institutions, fewer election cycles could mean a reduction in lost teaching days, thereby benefiting learning outcomes.
On the question of security personnel, the paper pointed out that deployment requirements could vary. While simultaneous elections may require a larger security presence compared to a standalone Lok Sabha poll—due to broader law and order needs, protection of vulnerable areas, and security for EVM and VVPAT strong rooms—they could also reduce the need for repeated deployments during separate state assembly elections.
“As a result, arriving at a single-point estimate of the impact on security personnel deployment is difficult,” the paper noted.
The study clarified that there would be no reduction in counting staff, as the counting of votes for Lok Sabha and state assemblies would still be conducted separately, requiring independent personnel even under a simultaneous election framework.
The findings add fresh data to the ongoing debate around the feasibility and impact of the ‘One Nation One Election’ proposal in India.