India, Aug. 9 -- Over the past decade, the Narendra Modi government has embraced a series of "One Nation" policies aimed at replacing India's diverse patchwork of state-specific policies with uniform, national schemes. From the Goods and Services Tax ("One Nation, One Tax") to the portability of subsidised rations ("One Nation, One Ration Card"), the impulse has been toward centralisation and standardisation.

Now, the government is pursuing one of the most controversial of these projects: One nation, one election. This proposal seeks to replace India's staggered electoral calendar with simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and all state assemblies. The idea has featured in Modi's speeches for years but was given a boost in March 2024,...