Cabinet Clears 'One Nation One Election' Bill
In a significant development towards implementing the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal, the Union Cabinet has approved the necessary bills to facilitate simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha, State Assemblies, and potentially municipal bodies. The bills, which aim to amend at least five Articles of the Constitution, were cleared at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative, which has garnered widespread public support, proposes to conduct general elections and state assembly elections together. This reform also envisions a later integration of municipal elections into the same cycle. The proposal received near 21,000 suggestions from the public, with over 81% in favor, according to PTI reports from January.
Among the approved bills, one focuses on amending Article 82, which deals with the allocation of Lok Sabha seats and the division of states into constituencies after each national census. Another amendment seeks to align the tenure and dissolution of the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, ensuring their synchronization. Additionally, adjustments to laws governing the legislative assemblies of Union Territories like Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu & Kashmir will align them with state legislative bodies.
While these changes are expected to be introduced in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, they are not anticipated to require ratification by more than 50% of the states. However, any move to synchronize local body elections with the larger electoral process will require approval from at least half of the states, as it involves state-specific matters.
