Mahesh Kumar
In a significant step towards realizing the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) longstanding agenda for conducting simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, the Union Cabinet approved the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal on Wednesday (September 18).
During a press conference, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the implementation of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative would occur in two phases and highlighted the broad support it has received from numerous political parties.
Reportedly the bill is expected to be introduced during the upcoming winter session of Parliament.
The development follows the submission of a report from a high-level committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind. Earlier in March, the panel recommended that simultaneous elections be conducted for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies as an initial step, followed by coordinated local body elections within 100 days.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his support for the proposal via X, describing it as "an important step to making our democracy even more vibrant and participative".
During his Independence Day speech last month, Prime Minister Modi strongly advocated for 'One nation, One election,' arguing that frequent elections were impeding national progress.
"The nation has to come forward for 'One nation, One election’,” Modi declared from the Red Fort.
He also urged political parties to ensure that national resources benefit the common man and emphasized, "We have to come forward to realise the dream of 'One nation, One election'."
The Law Commission is expected to propose holding simultaneous elections for all three levels of government—Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and local bodies such as municipalities and panchayats—beginning in 2029. The Commission may also suggest provisions for a unity government in cases of a hung parliament or a no-confidence motion.
The idea of simultaneous elections was included in the BJP’s manifestos for both the 2019 and 2024 general elections but has faced strong criticism from opposition parties.
Critics, including the Congress, CPI(M), AAP, and Shiv Sena (UBT), argue that such a move would advantage the ruling party at the national level.
However, allies of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), like JD(U) and Chirag Paswan's party, have supported the concept.
The Modi 2.0 government had established the panel to assess the feasibility of simultaneous elections, a key promise made by the BJP in its Lok Sabha election manifesto. The panel submitted its findings to the President in March.
Realizing this proposal will require the backing of two-thirds of Parliament, as it involves amending the Constitution at least six times.
While the BJP-led government holds a simple majority in both Houses, it lacks the necessary two-thirds majority—52 votes short in the Rajya Sabha and 72 in the Lok Sabha. Furthermore, the proposal must be ratified by all states and Union Territories.
During a press conference, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the implementation of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative would occur in two phases and highlighted the broad support it has received from numerous political parties.
Reportedly the bill is expected to be introduced during the upcoming winter session of Parliament.
The development follows the submission of a report from a high-level committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind. Earlier in March, the panel recommended that simultaneous elections be conducted for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies as an initial step, followed by coordinated local body elections within 100 days.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his support for the proposal via X, describing it as "an important step to making our democracy even more vibrant and participative".
The Cabinet has accepted the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections. I compliment our former President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind Ji for spearheading this effort and consulting a wide range of stakeholders.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 18, 2024
This is an important step towards making our…
During his Independence Day speech last month, Prime Minister Modi strongly advocated for 'One nation, One election,' arguing that frequent elections were impeding national progress.
"The nation has to come forward for 'One nation, One election’,” Modi declared from the Red Fort.
He also urged political parties to ensure that national resources benefit the common man and emphasized, "We have to come forward to realise the dream of 'One nation, One election'."
The Law Commission is expected to propose holding simultaneous elections for all three levels of government—Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and local bodies such as municipalities and panchayats—beginning in 2029. The Commission may also suggest provisions for a unity government in cases of a hung parliament or a no-confidence motion.
The idea of simultaneous elections was included in the BJP’s manifestos for both the 2019 and 2024 general elections but has faced strong criticism from opposition parties.
Critics, including the Congress, CPI(M), AAP, and Shiv Sena (UBT), argue that such a move would advantage the ruling party at the national level.
However, allies of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), like JD(U) and Chirag Paswan's party, have supported the concept.
The Modi 2.0 government had established the panel to assess the feasibility of simultaneous elections, a key promise made by the BJP in its Lok Sabha election manifesto. The panel submitted its findings to the President in March.
Realizing this proposal will require the backing of two-thirds of Parliament, as it involves amending the Constitution at least six times.
While the BJP-led government holds a simple majority in both Houses, it lacks the necessary two-thirds majority—52 votes short in the Rajya Sabha and 72 in the Lok Sabha. Furthermore, the proposal must be ratified by all states and Union Territories.
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