One Nation, One Election bill will be introduced today in the Lok Sabha.

Lok Sabha to Introduce 'One Nation, One Election' Bill Today

Written by: Supriya Kadu

Edited by: Pinky Deshmukh

Last Updated: December 17, 2024

Summary: Approved by the Union Cabinet, the 'One Nation, One Election' Bill suggests concurrent Lok Sabha and state assembly elections.

Today, the Central Government is presenting the "One Nation, One Election" plan to Parliament. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is set to introduce the much-awaited draft to the Lok Sabha after the cabinet approved the proposed approach last week.

If the law is tabled, it will guarantee that elections for the Lok Sabha, Assembly, and local bodies (rural or urban) will take place in the same year, if not simultaneously. Before independence, this was the standard until 1967.

The two-day Constitution debate will continue in the Rajya Sabha. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman started the discussion yesterday in honor of the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian Constitution.

Some opposition parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, and MK Stalin's Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), oppose the bill, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies support it.

The plan's proposal committee, led by former President Ram Nath Kovind, said that holding annual elections harms society, politics, and the economy. To solve this, it proposed holding simultaneous elections again.

Two phases of simultaneous polling were suggested by the panel. In the first phase, it suggested having simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections and holding elections for local bodies (municipalities and panchayats) within 100 days after the national elections.

To maintain synchronization, the President may announce the date of the Lok Sabha meeting as the "appointed date" after a general election.

The tenure of the recently established state assembly will be shortened to align with the upcoming general elections.