Following a national consensus-building effort, the Union cabinet has approved the proposals of a high-level committee on “One Nation, One Election,” which calls for holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and local authorities in a phased way.
As part of electoral reforms, the simultaneous polling problem has been raised in relation to the election manifestos of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
On Wednesday, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the minister of information and broadcasting, announced that an implementation group would be established to carry out the recommendations of the panel led by former president Ram Nath Kovind. Over the coming months, in-depth talks would be conducted on a number of topics throughout the nation.
According to Ashwini Vaishnaw, the shift to simultaneous elections would take place in two stages: local body elections will be covered in the second phase, which will take place within 100 days of the first, while Lok Sabha and assembly elections will be aligned in the first.
Eighteen constitutional reforms have been recommended by the Ram Nath Kovind committee, the majority of which do not require state assemblies to ratify them. Nevertheless, this would necessitate the passage of specific laws by Parliament amending the Constitution.
It is requested that modifications to the single voter ID card and single electoral roll be approved by a minimum of half of the states.
In addition, the Law Commission—of which Prime Minister Modi has been a fervent supporter—is probably going to release its own findings on simultaneous elections soon.
The law commission is expected to recommend holding simultaneous elections for all three levels of government, including the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and local bodies like municipalities and panchayats, beginning in 2029, according to news agency reports citing unnamed sources. The report also included a provision for a unity government in situations like a hung house.
In India, elections were held concurrently from 1951 to 1967. The pinnacle was reached in 1967 when national elections for the Lower House of Parliament were held simultaneously with elections in twenty states. In 1977, there were seventeen states with simultaneous elections; in 1980 and 1985, there were fourteen states.
After that, for a variety of reasons—including the midterm elections—polls began to spread.
It will take a lot of juggling to hold all elections at the same time, including pushing some polls forward and holding back others.
In addition to the parliamentary election, which took place in May and June of this year, states including Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh also conducted elections.
Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, and Maharashtra are all in the process of holding assembly elections, with Jharkhand and Maharashtra following later in the year. Among the states set to hold elections in 2025 are Delhi and Bihar.
The terms of the state assemblies in Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura and Telangana will end in 2028.
The terms of the current Lok Sabha and the state assemblies that went to polls together this year will end in 2029.
The success of the One Nation, One Election initiative depends on Parliament passing two Constitution Amendment Bills, which will require broad support from various political parties. Since the BJP doesn’t have a majority on its own in the Lok Sabha, it will need to engage not only its NDA allies but also opposition parties.
Key NDA constituent Janata Dal (United) welcomed the Union Cabinet’s decision, saying such a measure will rid the country of frequent polls, obviate the drain on public exchequer and result in policy continuity.
JD(U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad said ‘One Nation, One Election; will have long-term consequences and bring the country comprehensive benefits.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said simultaneous elections are not practical and alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes up with such things to divert attention from real issues when polls approach.
One way to build the necessary consensus is by referring the Amendment Bills to a parliamentary committee, such as a standing committee or a joint parliamentary committee. These panels include opposition members, and discussions there could lead to a consensus.
The Centre will also need to involve the states. For local bodies to be part of the simultaneous elections plan, at least half of the states must ratify the required Constitutional amendment, it added.
Although the BJP currently governs over a dozen states, the upcoming assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand may shift the political balance.
To ensure that simultaneous elections do not conflict with the Constitution, the Kovind committee has proposed amendments to Article 83, which governs the term of the Lok Sabha, and Article 172, which covers the tenure of state assemblies.
The committee suggested a one-time transitory measure to synchronise all elections and proposed when Lok Sabha is constituted after the general elections, the President would by notification on the same date as that of the first sitting bring into force the provisions for transition. This date would be called the appointed date.
Irrespective of whether a state assembly has completed its five-year term or not, a clause under proposed Article 82A stated that all the state assemblies constituted in any general election held after the “appointed date” shall come to an end on the expiry of the full term of the Lok Sabha.
This provision’s impact can be better appreciated by an example. The terms of the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal (2026) and Karnataka (2028) would end in May or June 2029, which would coincide with the following term of the Lok Sabha.
The committee has suggested holding new elections in the event that the One Nation, One Election policy is implemented, possibly by 2029, and either the Lok Sabha or a state assembly is dissolved before its five-year term as a result of a loss of majority after the “appointed date.” These elections would be referred to as “midterm elections,” and the newly elected government would only hold office for the balance of the term, or “unexpired term.”
The transition to simultaneous elections could also discourage no-confidence motions, as opposition parties may see little benefit in toppling a government, given that the next government would not serve a full five-year term.
