The bills related to simultaneous polls are scheduled to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
By Bibhudatta Pradhan / NEW DELHI
The bills proposing simultaneous elections for parliament, state legislatures and local bodies are set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday, marking a significant step towards ending India’s continuous voting cycle.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, are listed in the Lok Sabha’s List of Business for introduction. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will table these crucial bills.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has strongly advocated the “One Nation, One Election” initiative, highlighting the need to address inefficiencies caused by frequent elections, which consume considerable time and resources. The bills have already received cabinet approval, signalling the government’s commitment to advancing this reform.
What is ‘One Nation, One Election’?
The proposed “One Nation, One Election” legislation seeks to synchronize elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies across India, allowing voters to cast their ballots for both national and state elections on the same day or within a specific timeframe. This would be followed by elections for municipalities and panchayats within 100 days.
The initiative aims to address several issues associated with frequent elections, including reducing election costs, minimizing disruptions to governance, and streamlining administrative processes.
For nearly two decades after India’s first general elections in 1951, simultaneous polls were the norm. However, this practice was disrupted in 1967 due to the premature dissolution of some state legislative assemblies. The idea of reinstating simultaneous elections is not new. The Law Commission of India first recommended it in 1999, highlighting its potential benefits for governance and resource optimization.
Will simultaneous polls have to wait until 2034?
The bills are based on recommendations from a high-level committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
According to the Kovind committee’s recommendations, the President of India will notify the “appointed date” for the first sitting of the Lok Sabha after a general election. This date will establish a new electoral cycle, with the tenure of all state assemblies formed after that date curtailed to align with subsequent general elections.
In case of a hung house or a no-confidence motion, fresh elections will be held, but only for the remainder of the five-year term.
The first sitting of the newly elected Lok Sabha earlier this year has already concluded. Under the proposed framework, the “appointed date” for implementing simultaneous elections would only be notified during the first session of the Lok Sabha elected in 2029. This timeline effectively pushes the “One Nation, One Election” exercise beyond 2029, with the earliest possible simultaneous elections likely in 2034—unless the Modi government opts for mid-term polls before completing its current five-year term.
What is required to hold simultaneous polls?
The proposal to hold simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies can be implemented through constitutional amendments, without requiring approval from state legislatures.
However, aligning local body elections with general elections will necessitate constitutional amendments that must be ratified by at least half of the states.
The plan also envisions the use of common electoral rolls and a unified voter identity card for all elections, streamlining the voting process across the country.
If the bills are passed by the end of 2025, the Election Commission will face a tight timeline to manage logistics, including the procurement of EVMs and VVPATs, deployment of polling personnel, and arrangement of security forces required to conduct simultaneous polls.
Where do political parties stand on simultaneous elections?
Supporters of the “One Nation, One Election” initiative argue that it would save time and money while enabling political parties and governments to focus more on governance and policy implementation. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been a strong advocate, claiming that nearly 800 days of governance are lost every five years due to the current cycle of frequent elections.
However, critics argue that the proposal undermines India’s federal structure and the spirit of its Constitution. They warn that dissolving multiple state assemblies prematurely to synchronize their elections with national polls could paradoxically lead to more elections, not fewer. Over time, the problem could worsen—if governments collapse mid-term and elections are held for truncated tenures, the overall frequency of elections may increase.
Some experts suggest that capping campaign spending by political parties would be a better way to reduce election costs than holding simultaneous polls. Even so, this approach is not without flaws, as simultaneous elections could still disproportionately benefit the ruling party at the national level, giving it an edge over regional or opposition parties.
The ruling BJP and its allies are actively pushing for the proposal, but several opposition parties have strongly opposed it. The Congress party has rejected the idea outright, while West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has described it as “unconstitutional and anti-federal.” The Samajwadi Party has expressed concerns that simultaneous elections would put regional parties at a disadvantage, as they may struggle to match national parties in terms of electoral strategy and campaign spending.