One Nation, One Election bill to be soon introduced in Parliament; Union Cabinet gives approval

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet has approved the One Nation, One Election Bill, which proposes simultaneous elections for Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies every five years. The bill is likely to be introduced in the ongoing Parliament session, which concludes on the 20th. Efforts are underway to present the Bill before the session concludes. Since the opposition is united in opposing the move, the Bill is likely to be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for review.

It is also reported that a special bill will be introduced for the Legislative Assemblies of Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, and Puducherry. The bill will not include provisions for holding local body elections alongside Parliament and Assembly elections. Therefore, the approval of state legislatures is not required for this bill.

The committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind has recommended that elections to local bodies must be conducted within 100 days of parliamentary and assembly elections. The Union Cabinet had approved the committee's report in September, after which the Bill was finalized. Implementing the One Nation, One Election proposal will require amendments to five constitutional provisions.

Not easy to pass the bill

• Since the Bill involves constitutional amendments, it requires a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament to pass. Securing such support is challenging for the central government given the current situation. Alternatively, opposition parties must lend their support, which seems unlikely in the present scenario.
• The Congress, Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Left parties, and others opposing the Bill pose a significant challenge for the government.

Constitutional provisions that need to be amended
The following constitutional provisions will need to be amended for the "One Nation, One Election" Bill:

• Article 83: Duration of the Parliament
• Article 85: Sessions of Parliament
• Article 172: Duration of State Legislatures
• Article 174: Dissolution of State Legislatures
• Article 356: Imposition of President's Rule