Major Step Towards 'One Nation, One Election' As Cabinet Approves Bills For Simultaneous Lok Sabha, Assembly Elections: Report

The Union Cabinet on Thursday (12 December) approved two key bills that pave the way for 'One Nation, One Election'.

One of the bills aims to conduct Lok Sabha and all state assembly elections together, while the other seeks to align polls in Delhi and other union territories.

This approval comes nearly three months after the Union Cabinet accepted the recommendations of the high-level committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind on holding simultaneous polls.

The two Bills are likely to be introduced in the ongoing Parliament session and subsequently referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for wider consultation.

However, the government has not confirmed the timeline for implementation — whether simultaneous polls will begin in 2029 or 2034.

The Union Cabinet did not consider any draft legislation to align local panchayat and municipal polls with Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, Indian Express reported citing sources.

This suggest a phased approach by the Centre for implementing simultaneous elections.
The Cabinet meeting on Thursday reportedly focused exclusively on aligning Lok Sabha and state assembly elections, deferring local body (panchayat and municipal) polls to a later phase.

This step aligns with the Kovind Committee's first-phase recommendations from March, which suggested synchronising national and state elections first, followed by local body elections within 100 days.

Parliament can pass the Bills for simultaneous elections to all state and UT assemblies along with the Lok Sabha without needing approval from state governments or assemblies.

However, any legislation to align local body polls or establish a Single Electoral Roll via the Election Commission would necessitate ratification by at least half the state legislatures.

Also Read: US President-Elect Donald Trump Invites China's Xi Jinping To Attend His Inauguration Next Month: Report