On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet approved a significant proposal known as “One Nation, One Election,” aimed at holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections. The government believes this move will reduce costs and streamline the voting process in the world’s largest democracy.
Amid speculation that the bill could be introduced in the winter session of Parliament, government sources indicated that the Centre is focused on building a consensus before bringing it to the House. Sources also mentioned that there is no immediate pressure to introduce the “One Nation, One Poll” (ONOP) bill during the upcoming session.
The development followed the submission of a report by a high-level panel, led by former President Ram Nath Kovind, to the Union Cabinet.
The government has tasked Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Kiren Rijiju with engaging in discussions with opposition parties regarding the ONOP proposal.
Following the Cabinet’s decision, Prime Minister Modi described it as a significant step toward enhancing the vibrancy and inclusiveness of India’s democracy.
“The Cabinet has accepted the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections. I commend our former President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind Ji, for leading this initiative and consulting a wide range of stakeholders. This is an important step towards making our democracy even more vibrant and participative,” PM Modi shared in a post on X.
In his Independence Day address last month, PM Modi advocated for the “One Nation, One Election” initiative, arguing that frequent elections hinder the country’s progress.
Wednesday’s development sparked an immediate exchange between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition, suggesting that the bill could lead to a highly polarized parliamentary session whenever it is introduced, similar to the first two sessions of the 18th Lok Sabha that began in June.
Opposition Criticizes, BJP Responds
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge stated, “We do not support this. One nation, one election cannot work in a democracy. If we want our democracy to survive, elections must be held as needed.” Party spokesperson Manickam Tagore predicted that the bill would fail on the House floor.
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Arvind Sawant accused the government of overlooking the country’s priorities and promised that his party would expose the “flaws” in the proposal. The Samajwadi Party (SP) also criticized the government, claiming it was “confused” about implementing ONOP and should clarify how it benefits the nation. Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien slammed the initiative, calling it “just another cheap stunt from the anti-democratic BJP.”
AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi took to X, stating, “I have consistently opposed #OneNationOneElections because it is a solution in search of a problem. It undermines federalism and compromises democracy, which are part of the constitution’s basic structure…”
The BJP emphasized that ONOP would benefit the exchequer by reducing election costs and simplifying the logistics of the voting process, which involves large-scale arrangements across 28 states and eight Union Territories. The party also criticized Congress, labeling it “desh virodhi” (anti-national) for opposing the proposal. Janata Dal (United) sources noted that their leader Nitish Kumar has “always been in favor” of ONOP, expressing support for the initiative.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah highlighted that the Union Cabinet’s decision on “One Nation, One Election” demonstrates PM Modi’s strong resolve to strengthen democracy through transparent and cost-effective elections.
“India has been undergoing transformative reforms. Today, India takes a major step towards historic electoral reforms with the Union Cabinet’s acceptance of the High-Level Committee’s recommendations on One Nation One Election. This reflects Modi Ji’s unwavering will to fortify our democracy through clean and financially efficient elections, while promoting economic growth by better allocating resources,” Shah posted on X.
**What Is ‘One Nation, One Election’ & How It Could Work**
During a press briefing, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the government plans to implement “One Nation, One Election” (ONOP) in two phases, following the Cabinet’s approval. The first phase would involve holding Lok Sabha and state assembly elections simultaneously. The second phase would see local body elections (panchayat and municipalities) conducted within 100 days of the general elections. Additionally, the government plans to introduce a common electoral roll for all elections and establish an implementation group.
The Kovind committee, which conducted in-depth discussions on the matter, also recommended the creation of such a group and a two-stage implementation. In its consultations, opposition parties such as Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Trinamool Congress, the AIMIM, and the Samajwadi Party opposed the proposal. Out of 47 political parties that provided feedback, 32 supported simultaneous elections, while 15 expressed disagreement.
The concept of “one nation, one election” was first suggested in the 1980s. In May 1999, the Law Commission, led by Justice BP Jeevan Reddy, recommended in its 170th report that India should return to holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and all state legislative assemblies.
Simultaneous elections were originally held in 1951-52, 1957, 1962, and 1967. However, the cycle was disrupted due to the premature dissolution of various state assemblies, and the early dissolution of the Lok Sabha in 1970.
