The bill to allow simultaneous Lok Sabha polls and state assembly elections is high on the Narendra Modi government’s agenda. The Union cabinet on Thursday approved the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill. The legislation is likely to be tabled in this Winter session of Parliament. The bill will be referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).
The bill to allow simultaneous Lok Sabha polls and state assembly elections is high on the government’s agenda. In September, the Union cabinet approved the proposal in the report presented by a high-powered committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hailed the proposal, saying,”The Cabinet has accepted the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections.”
“I complement our former President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind Ji, for spearheading this effort and consulting a wide range of stakeholders. This is an important step towards making our democracy even more vibrant and participative,” PM Modi posted on X. The high-powered panel recommended holding concurrent elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies as the first phase, followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days. Kovind called for consensus on ‘One Nation, One Election’
On Wednesday, former President of India Ram Nath Kovind had said that the Centre should build a consensus on the ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative. “The Central government will have to build consensus. This issue is not in the interest of any party but the nation. It (One Nation, One Election) will be a game-changer–it’s not my opinion but that of economists, who believe that after its implementation, the country’s GDP will rise by 1-1.5 per cent,” Kovind said.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan too voiced his support on Wednesday for holding simultaneous elections to the state assemblies and the Lok Sabha, arguing that frequent elections lead to significant wastage of time and public funds.
“I am an agriculture minister, but during the elections, I spent three months campaigning. It wastes the time of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, Ministers, MPs, MLAs, officers, and employees. All development work comes to a standstill. Then, new announcements have to be made,” the minister.
