The ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bills paving way for simultaneous elections is unlikely to be introduced in Lok Sabha on December 16, Monday, according to the revised list of business in the lower house of Parliament.
The two bills that were approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet on Thursday include, The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
The bills pave way for unified elections across the nation. Earlier, the two bills were mentioned to be introduced in the Lok Sabha for introduction against Union Law Minister, Arjun Ram Meghwal in the list of business for December 16. But the ‘revised’ list of business uploaded on the Lok Sabha website later does not feature the two bills.
The government plans to introduced the bills in the ongoing winter session Parliament before referring then to theJoint Parliamentary Committee(JPC) for wider scrutiny, according to sources.
The bills that pave way for unified elections across the nation has been on the agenda of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for quite some time now.
The Winter Session of ParliamentOne Nation, One Election‘ bills may be introduced in the Lok Sabha later this week, after completion of financial business, including the passage of the first batch of supplementary demands for grants, which are listed for discussion on Monday, according to reports.
The bills that are mentioned to be introduced in Lok Sabha on Monday include The Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2024 and The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024.
The government, however, has an option of bringing in legislative proposals through ‘Supplementary List of Business‘ with the Speaker’s permission.
One passed in the Parliament, the Lok Sabha, the Assembly, and the local body (urban or rural) elections will be held in the same year, if not at the same time.
The high-level panel headed by former president Ram Nath KovindAssembly polls together. Local body elections will be held within 100 days, the panel recommended.
The panel said in the report that simultaneous elections could ‘transform the electoral process.’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet has approved the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill to be tabled in the Parliament in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.
The bill that paves way for unified elections across the nation has been on the agenda of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for quite some time now. In fact, there have been reports about Union cabinet’s approval of the bill, attributed to sources, earlier too.
In September a report said that the Modi government approved the implementation of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ to conduct simultaneous elections in the country.
Today’s ‘nth approval’, as one political analyst called it on LinkedIn, assumes significance as it comes in the middle of the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament. The Modi government, reports by agencies suggested, wants to table the bill in the on-going session before eventually refer it to the Joint Parliamentary CommitteeWinter Session of Parliament that began on November 25 will run till December 20.
If rolled out, the Lok Sabha, the Assembly, and the local body (urban or rural) elections will be held in the same year, if not at the same time.
The high-level panel headed by former president Ram Nath KovindAssembly polls together. Local body elections will be held within 100 days, the panel recommended. The panel also offered suggestions in case an Assembly, or even the Lok Sabha, is dissolved ahead of time, or in case of defections or a hung election.
Since the Modi cabinet has approved the panel’s report and also the proposed bill, as reported on Thursday, the centre will now move the legislation before the Parliament.
Two bills – one dealing with Lok Sabha and Assembly elections and the other with municipal and panchayat polls – must be cleared by Parliament.
The Kovind panel had recommended amendments to the Constitution to enable simultaneous elections in two steps: Simultaneous elections will be held for Lok Sabha and the state assemblies. Elections to the municipalities and the panchayats will be synchronised with the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies in such a way that municipal and panchayat elections are held within a hundred days of holding Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
The panel also recommended amendments to the Constitution to enable the Election Commission of Indiaimplementation of the ‘One Nation, One Election’NITI Aayog backed the proposal in 2017, and next year, the then President, Ram Nath Kovind, mentioned it in his address to the joint session of Parliament.
In August 2018, the Law Commission released a draft report examining the legal-constitutional aspects. In his Independence Day speech in 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated the need to hold simultaneous elections.
In fact, holding simultaneous elections has been on the party’s 2014 and 2019 election manifestos. “The BJP will seek, through consultation of other parties, to evolve a method of holding Assembly and Lok Sabha elections simultaneously. Apart from reducing election expenses for both political parties and the government, this will ensure certain stability for state governments. We will also look at revising expenditure limits realistically,” read the BJP’s 2014 manifesto.
The argument in favour of simultaneous elections is that it will ensure ease and convenience to voters, avoid voters’ fatigue and facilitate greater voter turnout. Also, conducting elections to all three tiers of the government together would avoid disruption of supply chains and production cycles due to migrant workers seeking leave of absence to cast their vote and reduce the financial burden on the government exchequer.
Those favouring it say that frequent elections burden the government exchequer. The frequent use of government officials and security forces adversely affects the discharge of their duties and frequent imposition of the Model Code of ConductArvind Kejriwal slammed the BJP for its ‘misplaced’ priorities. “The country needs one nation, one education, one nation, one healthcare system, not one nation, one election. BJP’s misplaced priorities,” Kejrwal said in a post on X.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin also voiced his opposition, labeling the proposal as ‘draconian’ and ‘anti-democratic.’
“The Union Cabinet has approved introducing the draconian ‘One Nation, One Election Bill’ in Parliament. This impractical and anti-democratic move will erase regional voices, erode federalism, and disrupt governance. Rise up #INDIA! Let us resist this attack on Indian Democracy with all our strength,” Stalin said.
Opposition’s argument against the proposal is that it will marginalise the regional players (parties). This will lead to a homogenization of political discourse and make it difficult for smaller parties and states to put their ideas before the nation, they say.
The country needs one nation, one education, one nation, one healthcare system, not one nation, one election.
The first four general elections in India involved simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The Congress party was in power at both the national and state levels then. Hence it was possible until the fourth general election in 1967.
Later, the elections were held separately due to the advancing of Lok Sabha polls by the Congress. As of now, the Lok Sabha elections coincide with four state assembly elections – Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim.
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MK Stalin slammed the Union Cabinet for approving bill to amend the Constitution to implement “one nation, one election” bill calling it ‘impractical and anti-democratic’
He posted on X, The Union Cabinet has approved introducing the draconian ‘One Nation, One Election Bill’ in Parliament. This impractical and anti-democratic move will erase regional voices, erode federalism, and disrupt governance.
“Rise up INDIA! Let us resist this attack on Indian Democracy with all our strength!” he went on to add.
The Union Cabinet approved two bills on Thursday, including one to amend the Constitution for implementing “one nation, one election.” These draft legislations are likely to be introduced in the ongoing winter session of Parliament. Currently, the Cabinet has approved holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies only.
A high-level committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind had also recommended aligning local body elections with national and state polls. However, the Cabinet has decided not to include local body elections for now.
Opposition parties raised concerns over the bills and said larger consultations are required while ruling NDA leaders asserted the burden on the exchequer will be lessened.
Opposition MPs questioned if the country is logistically ready to hold simultaneous elections, pointing out that recent polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand could not be held together with that in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir.
“One Nation one election sounds good, if the nation can go in that direction, nothing like it. But what is the reality? Is the Election Commission ready for it? Do we have enough forces, infrastructure?” Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai said.
“J&K, and Haryana elections could have been held together with Maharashtra but it was not done. Even the Jharkhand election was held in two phases… If government has some solution it can be discussed, but in present situation it does not appear they can do it,” Desai said.
Congress Lok Sabha member K Suresh said his party has already made its stand clear, and it is opposed to simultaneous polls. “Our party has already cleared our stand from the beginning, our stand has not changed. We are opposing it. Entire opposition is opposing it,” he said.
am Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh said, “There’s only one slogan of the Modi government that is ‘one nation, one Adani'”.
“He just wants a friend to sell India’s wealth and he is working for him. If there is one nation, one election, then what will happen when the government midway comes in minority. Won’t there be any mid term election?” Singh asked.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet has approved the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill to be tabled in the Parliament in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.
The bill paves way for unified elections across the nation. The government will eventually refer the bill to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further scrutiny, according to sources.
The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had approved the implementation of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ in September this year to conduct simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and local bodies in a phased approach.
The high-level panel headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind submitted the report in March before the announcement of Lok Sabha elections. Placing the report before the Cabinet was a part of the law ministry’s 110-day agenda.
The panel recommended simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies as the first step, followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days. The panel also recommended conducting two-phase polls in India.
Earlier this week, Kovind said that the Union government must build a consensus on the ‘One Nation, One ElectionKovind panelWinter Session of Parliament began on Monday, November 25, and will run till December 20.