NEW DELHI: The Modi government on Wednesday kicked off the exercise to implement its '
One Nation One Election' promise by 2029, accepting the proposals of a high-level panel headed by former President
Ramnath Kovind. The move will need support from opposition and non-NDA parties to push amendments to the Constitution, for which three ministers have been tasked to coordinate with political parties.
The amendments may be introduced as early as the winter session of Parliament, sources said. Although home minister Amit Shah had Tuesday reaffirmed govt's intent to implement the move within the current term of Modi government, few had expected matters to move so swiftly, given NDA's lack of numbers in Parliament and the stated position of oppositon parties, who had among them enough strength to thwart the move.
One nation one election will need 2 Constitution amendments With the Union Cabinet clearing the proposal for 'One Nation, One Election' on Wednesday, PM Narendra Modi said synchronising elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies was an imperative which could not be dodged indefinitely.
"This is an important step towards making our democracy even more vibrant and participative," Modi wrote on X while complimenting the Kovind committee.
The plan envisages a two-stage transition - the first, involving simultaneous polls for Lok Sabha and state assemblies, will need an amendment to the Constitution, which will need to be ratified by both Houses of Parliament with two-thirds majority.
To implement the second step - holding elections to local bodies within 100 days of general elections - a second Constitutional amendment will be required, which will need to be ratified by at least half the states.
When the panel's recommendations were submitted,
BJP enjoyed absolute majority in Lok Sabha, and could have reached the two-thirds threshold for a Constitutional amendment by deploying manoeuvres to find support from unlikely quarters.
But with the arithmetic changed after the Lok Sabha polls, Modi will have to depend on allies and others to push the amendments in the Lower House.
NDA allies are standing by the decision. More importantly,
Samajwadi Party diverged from its ally Congress's outright rejection of the move to demand an all-party meeting to evolve consensus. BSP reversed its earlier opposition to support the idea, although this would be of no consequence given its lack of representation in the two Houses.
During consultations with the Kovind panel, 32 political parties had supported the plan, with 15 opposing it, including Congress, Samajwadi Party, AAP, DMK, Trinamool and the Left.
Govt remains hopeful of finding support. "Govt will hold discussions across the country, and among different groups. Our govt believes in consensus. There will be more high-level deliberations," I&B minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said after the Cabinet meeting, where the PM is learnt to have emphasised the need to spread awareness about the gains - savings for the exchequer, relief from the pauses in decision-making minimising election fatigue, improved governance and stability and consistency in policies, likely to follow from holding elections together.
Three ministers - Rajnath Singh, Kiren Rijiju and Arjun Ram Meghwal - will consult with political parties to build support for the plan, sources said.
Cabinet ministers were of the view that an extensive nationwide campaign will be launched to sensitise stakeholders about the need to hold simultaneous polls and also create pressure on the naysayers.
But before moving the amendments, govt will constitute an implementation group that will further work on the proposal. Separately,
Election Commission and state chief election officers will have to work on common electoral rolls.
Once the amendments are undertaken, the President will notify the "appointed date" for holding simultaneous polls. The tenure of state assemblies will expire from the appointed date. This means that the tenure of several state assemblies will be curtailed.
In the case of state assemblies getting dissolved on account of no-confidence motion or a hung House, fresh elections will be held along with Lok Sabha polls.
As far back as 1999, the law commission, and subsequently a Parliamentary panel in 2015, had also supported simultaneous elections.