How India plans to vote in a 'one nation, one election' in 2034

Since the government intends to hold the first nationwide simultaneous polls by 2034 following the ratification of the constitutional reform bill for ‘one nation, one election’, all state assemblies elected after 2029 would serve for a shorter period of time to synchronise their term with the 2034 general elections.

PP Choudhary, head of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the “one nation, one election” bill (The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024), told Times of India that the assembly, which is set to be elected in 2032, may only serve a two-year term after 2027 in order to ensure that the next elections in Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in India, coincide with the Lok Sabha elections, which may occur in 2034.

Simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislatures are provided for under the 2024 Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill and the 2024 Union Territories Laws (Amendment Bill).

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According to the constitution amendment bill, the President may announce when the next general elections are due by announcing the date of the Lok Sabha’s first session following a general election, which is most likely scheduled for 2029.

When the Lok Sabha’s five-year term ends, the tenure of all state assemblies established after this date would also end. An election for the Lok Sabha or state legislature will be conducted for a term equivalent to the remaining five years if it is dissolved before its five-year mandate.

As a result, its subsequent election will coincide with the cycle of simultaneous elections. Assembly elections will only be held to coincide with the Lok Sabha elections, even in states where polls are scheduled.

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The bill does, however, stipulate that the Election Commission may propose to the President that elections for a state assembly be held separately from those for the rest of the nation if it believes that this is not possible. The President may issue an order to hold elections for that assembly at a later date.

Choudhary, the BJP MP for Pali in Rajasthan, stated that based on the JPC’s operations, the panel’s term may be prolonged because the members agreed to visit states and union territories prior to delivering their final recommendations.

To date, JPC members have travelled to Uttarakhand and Maharashtra.

The bills were filed in the LS in December of last year and submitted to the Chaudhary-led panel, which has been consulting with stakeholders for comments.