Modi govt may table 'One Nation, One Election' bill in Parliament this winter session

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government is reportedly working on three draft legislations based on the recommendations of the Ram Nath Kovind-led committee on ‘One Nation, One Election,’ and would shortly commence the exercise to implement it by attempting to build consensus across party lines.

The Law Ministry is working on draft bills. Citing sources, a report by The Times of India mentioned that the Union Cabinet has already approved the recommendations of Kovind-led committee for simultaneous elections.

The government is expected to table it as early as the ongoing winter session of the parliament.

Once the bill or bills are tabled in the parliament, the government may refer the measures to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) of the two Houses for in-depth consultations.

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The JPC is then expected to engage with political parties, speakers of all the state assembly, and also solicit public opinion. However, the methods for public involvement are yet to be decided upon.

Continuing with its ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative, the central government in September accepted the recommendations of the high-level committee to conduct simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, as well as local bodies in a phased approach.

It is worth mentioning that the implementation of ‘One Nation, One Election’ framework will need extensive Constitutional amendments, including the passage of at least six bills with a two-thirds majority in both – Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

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The ruling NDA enjoys a majority in both the Houses of Parliament, but achieving the required numbers for the Constitutional amendments could pose a challenge.

In the Rajya Sabha, NDA holds 112 seats, but it required 164 for a two-thirds majority. Meanwhile, in the Lok Sabha, 364 votes are required where the coalition has 292 seats.

The Opposition has been persistently criticising the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal, calling it as “impractical, undemocratic, and unconstitutional.” They argue that the logistical and operational challenges of simultaneous elections could disrupt governance and weaken federal principles.

With inputs from agencies.