One Nation, One Election Bill: A constitutional amendment bill aimed at holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections has been listed for introduction in the lower house of parliament (Lok Sabha) on Tuesday. It may then be referred to a joint parliamentary committee for further review.
According to the Lok Sabha agenda, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will introduce the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, commonly known as the “One Nation, One Election” Bill. After its introduction, Meghwal will request Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to refer the bill to a joint parliamentary committee for wider consultation.
Previously, the bill was listed as the agenda for business on December 16. The government has already circulated the copies of the Bill to the Members of Parliament for their perusal. It must be noted that the Riksdag’s winter session ends on December 20. If this bill is not tabled by December 16, the government would have only four days left to table the bill in this session.
Modi government approves ‘One Nation, One Choice’ Bill.
The Union Cabinet on December 12 approved the crucial ‘One Nation, One Election’ bill which is likely to be tabled in the ongoing winter session, the sources said. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has termed the idea of ”one nation, one election” as “historic” and claimed the move will be cost-effective and governance-friendly. On several occasions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the concept of holding simultaneous polls, claiming that it is the need of the hour.
According to sources, the government’s approval is currently limited to holding simultaneous polls for Lok Sabha and legislatures, while elections for municipalities and panchayats have been ruled out “for now”, despite recommendations by a high-level committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind to include them on a stepwise manner.
Opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress, have repeatedly expressed concern over the proposed reform, arguing it could disrupt the country’s federal structure, undermine regional parties and concentrate power at the centre.
The BJP has defended the idea as a measure to streamline governance and reduce election-related expenses, but critics have questioned the feasibility and implications of holding simultaneous polls across India’s diverse and sprawling landscape.
Is the concept of ‘One Nation, One Choice’ new in India?
It should be noted here that “One Nation, One Election” is not a new concept in India. After the adoption of the Constitution in 1950, elections to the Lok Sabha and all state assemblies were held simultaneously every five years between 1951 and 1967. Polling stations were held simultaneously for the Center and the states in 1952, 1957, 1962 and 1967. The process ended when new states began to be formed and some old ones were reorganized. After the dissolution of various legislatures in 1968–1969, this practice was abandoned entirely.
