NEWS DESK, 18 SEPTEMBER:
The Union Cabinet has approved the government’s ‘one nation, one election’ push – which proposes simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, with urban body and panchayat polls to be held within the next 100 days – accepting the report of a panel led by ex-President Ram Nath Kovind.
“There is unanimous opinion simultaneous polls (beginning from 2029, sources told NDTV earlier) should be held,” the panel, which included Home Minister Amit Shah, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, as its members, had said. The panel also outlined provisions for a ‘unity government’ in cases of an indefinite result or a no-confidence motion; it had been tasked with recommending such solutions.
The ‘one nation, one election’ proposal was part of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto for the 2019 and 2024 general elections, but has drawn heavy criticism from the opposition, who have red-flagged concerns over changes to the Constitution and practical challenges, including cutting short the terms of certain Assemblies to align them with the proposed new round of elections.
What Is ‘One Nation, One Election’?
Simply put, it means all Indians will vote in Lok Sabha, Assembly, and local body elections – to pick central, state, and local representatives – in the same year, if not at the same time.
At present, only a few states vote for a new government at the same time as the country selects a new union administration. These few are Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, and Odisha, all of which voted at the same time as the April-June Lok Sabha election.
Haryana votes next month, with Jharkhand and Maharashtra also voting this year. The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is holding its first Assembly election in a decade.
The rest follow a non-synced five-year cycle; Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Telangana, for example, were among those voting at different times last year.And this has been flagged by the opposition, which has warned against cutting short the terms of the state’s respective governments.
Of these four, the BJP rules Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The Congress rules Karnataka and Telangana, both of which voted last year and are not scheduled to vote again till 2028.
