Union Cabinet Clears 'One Nation, One Election' Bill, Set to Be Introduced in Parliament

New Delhi- The Union Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the 'One Nation, One Election' bill, which aims to bring electoral reforms in India. According to reports, the bill is expected to be introduced in Parliament next week.

Once introduced, the bill will be sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed discussions. The government intends to build a consensus around the proposal, recognizing the importance of political support for its success.

'One Nation, One Election' was a significant promise in the BJP’s manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Prime Minister Modi had previously urged all political parties to support the initiative, stressing the challenges posed by frequent elections on the country’s development.

In September, the Union Cabinet endorsed the 'One Nation, One Election' plan, backing the recommendations of a high-level committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind. This committee had examined the proposal and submitted its report in March this year, ahead of the general elections.

The committee’s report outlined the steps for implementing the proposal, including the recommendation to hold simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies as the first phase. It also suggested synchronizing local body elections within 100 days and creating a unified electoral roll and voter ID system managed by the Election Commission of India (ECI), in coordination with state election authorities.

To facilitate the process, the Kovind committee proposed 18 constitutional amendments. Given the government's lack of majority in both Houses of Parliament, the plan is to engage with political parties through the Joint Parliamentary Committee and consult key stakeholders, including state assembly speakers and intellectuals, to garner broad support for the initiative.