{"id":828,"date":"2026-01-29T16:12:30","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T10:42:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kamalsandesh.org\/blogs\/?p=828"},"modified":"2026-01-31T13:44:30","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T08:14:30","slug":"one-nation-one-election-womens-empowerment-in-viksit-bharat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kamalsandesh.org\/blogs\/one-nation-one-election-womens-empowerment-in-viksit-bharat\/","title":{"rendered":"One Nation, One Election: Women\u2019s Empowerment in Viksit Bharat"},"content":{"rendered":"

The vision of Viksit Bharat<\/em> goes far beyond economic growth and aims to build an inclusive nation with efficient governance where every citizen, especially women, has equal opportunities to grow and succeed. In this context, the proposal of One Nation, One Election (ONOE) which seeks to conduct simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies\u2014holds significant potential for advancing women\u2019s empowerment, safety, leadership, and socio-economic participation. Although ONOE is often discussed in terms of administrative efficiency and financial savings, its impact on women deserves focused attention, as stable and predictable governance can ensure that women-centric policies are not only announced but also effectively implemented and sustained over time.<\/p>\n

Women are among the primary beneficiaries of government welfare programmes related to maternal health, nutrition, sanitation, education, skill development, and financial inclusion. However, frequent elections often lead to the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, which delays approvals, recruitment, fund releases, and on-ground implementation. With ONOE, governments would enjoy longer, uninterrupted policy windows, enabling the timely delivery of maternal and child health services, continuous support for nutrition and sanitation programmes, regular funding for girls\u2019 education and scholarships, and sustained livelihood support through self-help groups and women\u2019s cooperatives. For women in rural, tribal, and economically weaker sections, such continuity can make the crucial difference between policy intent and real impact.<\/p>\n

India also spends substantial public funds and administrative energy on conducting repeated elections. During election periods, security forces, teachers, and government staff are frequently diverted from essential services such as schools, health centres, anganwadis, and rural offices; institutions that women rely on daily. ONOE can significantly reduce repetitive election expenditure and manpower diversion, allowing greater investment in women\u2019s healthcare infrastructure, education and digital literacy for girls, skill training and entrepreneurship support, and improved nutrition, sanitation, and clean water facilities. This efficient reallocation of resources aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals and strengthens the foundation of a truly developed nation.<\/p>\n

Election periods are often marked by heightened political tension, aggressive campaigning, misinformation, and public disorder, which can make public spaces unsafe or uncomfortable for women, especially working women, students, and elderly caregivers. By limiting prolonged and frequent election phases, public life can become calmer and more predictable, law enforcement can focus more consistently on safety, and women can experience greater mobility and confidence. A stable civic environment encourages women\u2019s participation in education, work, and community leadership, all of which are essential drivers of national progress.<\/p>\n

Despite gradual progress, women continue to be underrepresented in Indian politics, with one major barrier being the constant electoral cycle that demands repeated campaigning, travel, fundraising, and time commitments, challenges that are often more difficult for women due to social and family responsibilities. ONOE can reduce campaign fatigue and financial burden, enable political parties to plan long-term leadership pipelines for women, encourage first-time women candidates to step forward, and complement women\u2019s reservation policies by improving their effectiveness. Predictable election schedules would allow women leaders to focus more on governance and constituency service rather than perpetual campaigning.<\/p>\n

Frequent elections also tend to push governments toward short-term populist measures, while issues central to women such as quality education, robust healthcare systems, urban safety design, climate resilience, and employment generation require long-term planning and sustained commitment. ONOE offers governments a stable tenure to implement structural reforms, enhances accountability for outcomes rather than announcements, and provides space for evidence-based, gender-sensitive policymaking. This shift from short-term optics to long-term impact is essential for closing persistent gender gaps in health, education, and employment.<\/p>\n

Women-led enterprises, self-help groups, and informal-sector workers are particularly vulnerable to policy uncertainty and administrative delays caused by repeated elections. A synchronised election system can create greater economic predictability, a stable policy environment for women entrepreneurs, improved access to finance and digital platforms, and stronger integration of women into formal economic growth. Since the economic empowerment of women is one of the most powerful accelerators of national development, such stability can have far-reaching benefits.<\/p>\n

Repeated elections can also lead to voter fatigue, reducing meaningful democratic participation, especially among women who balance domestic, professional, and caregiving roles. ONOE can help shift democratic engagement from constant mobilization to more informed and reflective decision-making. When elections are less frequent but more focused, voters can assess governance performance holistically, women\u2019s voices can gain prominence beyond symbolic participation, and democracy can become deeper rather than diluted. At the same time, appropriate safeguards must ensure that local and women-specific issues continue to receive adequate attention within India\u2019s federal framework.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, a truly Viksit Bharat<\/em> cannot be achieved unless women are equal partners in governance, the economy, and social progress. If implemented with constitutional safeguards, cooperative federalism, and gender-sensitive planning, One Nation, One Election can support this goal by ensuring policy continuity, efficient use of resources, safer public spaces, stronger political participation, and stable economic opportunities. When women thrive, families prosper, communities grow stronger, and the nation moves confidently toward development. In this sense, ONOE is not merely an electoral reform but a potential catalyst for inclusive growth and women-led transformation in Viksit Bharat<\/em>.<\/p>\n

(The author teaches politics in Delhi University)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The vision of Viksit Bharat goes far beyond economic growth and aims to build an inclusive nation with efficient governance where every citizen, especially women, has equal opportunities to grow and succeed. In this context, the proposal of One Nation, One Election (ONOE) which seeks to conduct simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and State<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16239,"featured_media":839,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political","category-social"],"wps_subtitle":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kamalsandesh.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/828","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kamalsandesh.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kamalsandesh.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamalsandesh.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16239"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamalsandesh.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=828"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/kamalsandesh.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/828\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":836,"href":"https:\/\/kamalsandesh.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/828\/revisions\/836"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamalsandesh.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kamalsandesh.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamalsandesh.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamalsandesh.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}