One Nation, One Election: Bill to Hold Simultaneous Polls to Be Introduced in Lok Sabha Today

New Delhi: The Union government is all set to table the "One Nation, One Election" bills in Lok Sabha on Tuesday (December 17).

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is expected to introduce the significant two bills in the Lok Sabha, as per a government statement.

The two bills include the ONOP Bill, officially called The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, and The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill.

Following this, Meghwal is expected to request Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla to refer it to a Joint Committee of Parliament for wider consultations.

In this process, a joint panel will be formed on a pro-rata basis, depending on the strength of the MPs from political parties. However, BJP being the largest party si expected to to hold the chairmanship and multiple member positions.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will then announce the committee's composition by Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, several opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and MK Stalin have opposed the idea of simultaneous polls in the country, calling the bill as "anti-democratic."

What is 'One Nation, One Election'?

'One Nation, One Election' refers to the simultaneous conduct of Lok Sabha, Assembly, and local body (urban or rural) elections in the same year, if not a same time.

This practice was followed from independence time which later discontinued in 1967, covering four polls starting with the first general election in 1951-52.

The premature dissolution of certain state governments in 1968-69 and the early termination of the Lok Sabha in 1970 disrupted the cycle of simultaneous elections.

Currently, only seven states hold elections concurrently with the Lok Sabha polls. Among them, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim participated in simultaneous voting during the April-June Lok Sabha elections earlier this year. States like Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jharkhand conduct their polls in the latter half of a general election year.

This isn't the first time when a proposal was presented to streamline elections across the country by holding simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.  

The idea of holding simultaneous elections is not new to India. In the early years after independence, elections for the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies were held together in 1951-52, 1957, 1962, and 1967. However, this practice was disrupted when several State Assemblies were dissolved prematurely in 1968 and 1969. This led to the decoupling of assembly and parliamentary elections.  

Subsequently, the Fourth Lok Sabha also saw its term cut short, leading to early elections in 1971. While the First, Second, and Third Lok Sabhas completed their full five-year terms, political instability in later years often resulted in premature dissolution.

The Push for Simultaneous Polls  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA government have strongly advocated for the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal, describing it as a way to "strengthen democracy" by reducing the frequency of elections. They argue that simultaneous elections will save time, resources, and effort, allowing governments to focus more on governance rather than being in constant election mode.  

India’s history with simultaneous elections offers lessons in both benefits and challenges. While the initial synchronized polls provided stability and reduced electoral fatigue, disruptions in the 1970s due to early dissolutions of assemblies and the Lok Sabha created a staggered electoral calendar.  

Prime Minister Modi has highlighted how the country learned from the Emergency period (1975-77), which saw the tenure of the Fifth Lok Sabha extended under Article 352. "That period showed the importance of the separation of powers. The Constitution strengthened checks and balances among the Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary, helping democracy evolve," he said.