On Thursday, the Union Cabinet approved bills to implement the ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative, with the draft legislations expected to be introduced in Parliament during the ongoing Winter session, sources reported.
The decision was made during a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government plans to hold broader consultations on the bills, which are likely to be referred to a parliamentary committee. Sources indicated that the government also intends to consult the Speakers of various state legislative assemblies through this committee.
As part of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ plan, the government had accepted the recommendations of a high-level committee in September to hold simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and local bodies in phases.
According to the committee’s recommendations, one of the proposed bills will aim to amend Article 82A by adding provisions for the appointed date and the synchronized end of terms for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. It will also propose changes to Article 83(2), adding sub-clauses relating to the duration and dissolution of the Lok Sabha, along with provisions for the dissolution of state legislative assemblies and the insertion of “simultaneous elections” into Article 327. This bill will not require ratification by at least 50 percent of the states.
However, holding local body elections simultaneously with Lok Sabha and state assemblies will need ratification by at least 50 percent of state assemblies, as it pertains to state matters.
Another bill, which will be a regular legislation, aims to amend provisions in three laws concerning Union territories with legislative assemblies — Puducherry, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir — to align the terms of these assemblies with those of other state legislatures and the Lok Sabha, as outlined in the first constitutional amendment bill. This bill will not require constitutional amendments or state ratification.
The high-level committee had suggested changes to three constitutional articles, the insertion of 12 new sub-clauses, and amendments to three laws related to Union Territories with legislative assemblies. The total number of proposed changes is 18. In its report submitted in March, the committee recommended implementing ‘One Nation, One Election’ in two phases.
