The government is reportedly mulling bringing three significant bills, including two that propose constitutional amendments, aimed at implementing its ‘one nation, one election’ plan. The move comes after the government accepted the recommendations of a high-level committee that called for simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and local bodies through a phased approach.
One of the proposed constitutional amendment bills, which focuses on aligning local bodies’ elections with those of the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, will require approval from at least 50 per cent of the states. This bill seeks to facilitate holding all elections at the same time, providing a unified electoral process across the country.
One Nation, One Election: Proposed Amendments
The first constitutional amendment bill will address the concurrent scheduling of Lok Sabha and state legislative assembly elections. According to news agency PTI, sources, citing recommendations of the high-level committee, revealed that the bill proposes amendments to Article 82A, including adding sub-clause (1) relating to the “appointed date” and sub-clause (2), which focuses on ending the terms of both the Lok Sabha and state assemblies simultaneously. It will also propose changes to Article 83(2) and insert new sub-clauses (3) and (4) concerning the duration and dissolution of the Lok Sabha. Additionally, provisions will be added for the dissolution of legislative assemblies and amending Article 327 to introduce the term “simultaneous elections.”
Crucially, this particular bill will not require ratification by 50 per cent of the states, according to sources cited by PTI.
The second constitutional amendment bill, however, will require such ratification as it addresses state-related matters, PTI reported. It proposes changes to constitutional provisions regarding the preparation of electoral rolls by the Election Commission (EC) in coordination with State Election Commissions (SECs) for local body elections. While the EC oversees national and state-level elections, SECs are responsible for conducting elections to local bodies like municipalities and panchayats. The bill will create provisions to hold simultaneous elections for these local bodies, along with Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, by introducing a new Article 324A.
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One Nation, One Election: Legislative Changes For Union Territories
In addition to the constitutional amendments, the government plans to introduce a third bill that will amend provisions in three existing laws concerning Union Territories with legislative assemblies—Puducherry, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir. The amendments aim to align the terms of these assemblies with those of other state legislative assemblies and the Lok Sabha, as outlined in the first constitutional amendment bill, according to PTI’s report.
The laws to be amended include the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. This proposed bill will be an ordinary piece of legislation and will not require constitutional changes or ratification by the states.
One Nation, One Election: High-Level Committee Recommendations
The high-level committee, in its report submitted to the government in March ahead of the general election, proposed a total of 18 amendments and new insertions across three articles of the Constitution. The report recommended implementing the ‘one nation, one election’ plan in two phases. In the first phase, simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies would take place, followed by elections for local bodies like panchayats and municipal corporations within 100 days of the general election.
The committee also suggested a common electoral roll for all elections, requiring greater coordination between the EC and SECs.
These recommendations sparked debates over the feasibility and implications of simultaneous elections, especially in terms of the logistical and constitutional challenges that may arise.
