In a significant move towards realizing the ‘One Nation, One Election’ (ONOE) initiative, the Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday approved a constitutional amendment bill aimed at holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
What is ‘One Nation, One Election’?
The proposed amendment seeks to align the timing of the Lok Sabha and state legislative assembly elections. The high-level committee, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, had initially suggested that municipal and panchayat elections be held alongside national and state polls in a phased approach. However, the Cabinet has decided to exclude these elections from the proposal for now. Currently, elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies are conducted separately.
Implementation of ‘One Nation, One Election’To implement ONOE, the committee recommended the development of a legally tenable mechanism to synchronize elections. The proposal suggests the following steps:
1. Stage One: Conduct simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and all state legislative assemblies.
2. Stage Two: In a phased manner, synchronize municipal and panchayat elections with the national and state elections, ideally within 100 days of the parliamentary and assembly elections.
The committee also proposed that if fresh elections are required for the Lok Sabha due to a hung parliament or a no-confidence motion, the tenure of the newly elected Lok Sabha would be limited to the remaining term of the previous House. Similarly, newly elected state assemblies would serve until the end of the full term of the Lok Sabha unless dissolved earlier.
To streamline the process, the committee recommended the creation of a single electoral roll, managed by the Election Commission (EC) in coordination with state election commissions, replacing individual state rolls.
The EC would also be tasked with drawing up a detailed logistical plan, including the procurement of equipment like EVMs and VVPATs, and arranging for polling personnel and security.
Support and Opposition to the Proposal
The proposal has garnered mixed reactions across the political spectrum. While 32 political parties have supported ONOE, 15 have opposed it. Among the national parties, the BJP and the National People’s Party (NPP) have backed the initiative, while the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and Communist Party of India (Marxist) have opposed it.
State parties such as the Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) are also against the proposal, with concerns over its potential impact on federalism and state-level political dynamics. Some smaller regional parties, like the Biju Janata Dal, Shiv Sena, and the Shiromani Akali Dal, have supported it.
The Congress, which has voiced strong opposition, reiterated its stance through party leaders such as Jairam Ramesh and Mallikarjun Kharge, who have described the proposal as detrimental to India’s parliamentary democracy. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also criticized the move, calling it unconstitutional and harmful to the federal structure.
Pros and Cons
Proponents of ONOE argue that simultaneous elections would reduce costs and eliminate the frequent imposition of the Model Code of Conduct across various states. The concept of holding simultaneous elections was in practice from 1951 to 1967 and has been discussed in numerous reports since 1983.
Opponents, however, contend that it could marginalize regional parties, as national parties would have the upper hand in terms of resources and electoral strategies. The Samajwadi Party warned that ONOE could lead to greater division between state and national parties, further eroding the autonomy of state-level politics.
The Road Ahead
For the constitutional amendment bill to pass, it will need support from at least two-thirds of members in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. While the ruling BJP and its allies are pushing for ONOE, the opposition parties remain divided, and the government will need the backing of some members of the opposition alliance to secure the bill’s passage.
The ONOE proposal represents a major shift in India’s electoral system, but it remains to be seen whether the government can overcome the political hurdles to implement this ambitious plan.
