The Centre on Wednesday cleared the proposal for ‘one nation, one election’, which aims to ensure that the elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies will be carried out in one go. According to sources, the ‘one nation, one election’ Bill is likely to be introduced in the upcoming winter session of Parliament.

The development took place after a high-level panel headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind submitted its report before the Union Cabinet. The report was submitted on Wednesday. PM Modi during his Independence Day address last month advocated for ‘one nation, one election.’ He argued that frequent elections created impediments to the country’s progress. The idea of ‘one nation, one election’ refers to holding simultaneous elections across the country, which means, that the polls for Lok Sabha and state assemblies will be held together.

The concept of ‘one nation, one election’ was first introduced in the 1980s. The Law Commission, led by Justice BP Jeevan Reddy, stated in its 170th Report in May 1999 that “we must return to holding elections for the Lok Sabha and all Legislative Assemblies simultaneously.” This approach was implemented during the elections of 1951-52, 1957, 1962, and 1967. However, the cycle of state assembly elections was disrupted due to premature dissolutions, including an early dissolution of the Lok Sabha in 1970.

Opposition Critiques ‘One Nation, One Election’; BJP Responds

Several opposition parties, including the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and Shiv Sena (UBT), have opposed the ‘one nation, one election’ proposal, claiming that the BJP aims to replace the parliamentary system with a presidential model. TMC MP Derek O’Brien criticized the central government, stating, “One nation, one election is just another cheap stunt from the anti-democratic BJP.”

In contrast, Prime Minister Modi has championed the ‘one nation, one election’ initiative, which the BJP included in its manifesto for the general elections.