oppn parties ONOE: Arguments Matter, Not Numbers

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  • PM Modi says that if Congress is voted to power in Haryana, the state will face the same financial problems that Himachal is facing under the party's rule
  • Competition Commission of India has said that smartphone majors are colluding with e-commerce firms to exclusively launch products on their platforms in alleged breach of anti-trust laws
  • Supreme Court rules that delay in claiming compensation for land acquisition by the government is no excuse to deny it as it is the duty of the government to pay the compensation.
  • PM Modi said that terrorism was breathing its last in J&K
  • Conbgress has alleged that Sebi chief Madhabi Buch traded in listed securities and invested in China-focused funds during her tnure at the agency
  • India to sing $4bn Predator drone deal with US
  • Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has disclosed that the opposition parties backed him as Prime Minister in place of Narendra Modi but he refused.
  • Noted economist Ajit Ranade removed as VC of Gokhale Institute of Politics & Economics in Pune due to not fulfilling eligibility criteria related to teaching experience
  • Chess Olympiad: Arjun Erigaisi wins his fourth consecutive game
  • Asian Champions Trophy hockey- India beat Pakistan 2-1 in a tough match to remain unbeaten in the group stage. They will meet Korea in the semifinals
  • Davis Cup: S Balaji and R Ramanathan lose, India 0-2 down on first day
  • Delhi Police arrested Sangram Dass, said to be the kingpin of an inter-state new-born baby tafficking racket, from Kolkata after a 1500-km chase
  • NC leader Omar Abdullah alleged that the B|JP was forging secret deals with some regional parties and independents to form the government in J&K
  • Rajasthan Police has devised a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), as directed by the Rajasthan HC, to help married and live-in couples facing threats from families and others. It icludes helplines and safe houses
  • A 3-storey building collapsed in the busy Transport Nager area in Lucknow killing 8 and injuring 28 others
Junior doctors do not agree to meet Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee without live-streaming of meeting /////// CBI arrests ex-principal of R G Kar College Sandip Ghosh and OC of Tala PS in Kolkata, Abhijit Mondal' for destrcution of evidence in the rape-murder case
oppn parties
ONOE: Arguments Matter, Not Numbers

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2024-01-24 06:02:18

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.

When the government forms a panel to look into some important policy matter and if the panel issues a public notice calling for suggestions from interested individuals and entities, the exercise is not a referendum. It is an exercise to collect the views and arguments for and against the policy matter from the public based on which the panel, after incorporating its own expert opinion, submits its report to the government. In no case can the public opinion collected be treated as a vote on the policy matter and the panel should not, in fact cannot, put much weight solely on what the public thinks either for or against the subject matter on hand. It must go into the arguments put forward by the public, take the best of both that support or reject the policy matter and form its own opinion. It is then expected to submit this opinion to the government.

Hence, the panel formed to look into whether One Nation, One Election (ONOE) can be implemented in India, headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, is wrong when it publishes figures that more than 80% of the more than 20000 respondents who have filed submissions before it have voted in favour of having simultaneous elections in the country. The numbers who have favoured the change is not important. It is the quality of arguments that matter. It can be that 16000 respondents have argued for change to ONOE but their arguments are same or similar. In that case, given the context, their submissions will count as just one. On the other hand, there can be 4000 respondents who have given forceful and different arguments against the change. Their opinion will matter more due to the fact that they have argued better.

There are many arguments both for and against having simultaneous elections in India. The panel needs to study all these arguments in depth and then submit its opinion to the government. It does not need to be swayed by the numbers who have argued for it if their arguments are similar. ONOE is a momentous electoral reform and it cannot be rushed.