In a step towards simultaneous Lok Sabha and state polls, the Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the One Nation One Election bill, sources said.
The bill is likely to be introduced in the ongoing winter session of Parliament. Holding simultaneous polls was one of the key promises made by the BJP in its Lok Sabha poll manifesto. The development comes weeks after the government accepted the recommendations of the high-level committee, which was headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind. The panel has suggested holding simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies in a phased manner.
However, the move has faced opposition from several INDIA bloc parties like the Congress and AAP, who have alleged that it would benefit the ruling party at the Centre. Major NDA allies, like Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and Chirag Paswan, have backed simultaneous elections.
Aware that the bill would come under scrutiny, the government plans to send the legislation to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to build a broad-based consensus, sources said. Moreover, the views of the Speakers of all state assemblies will be taken apart from intellectuals, experts, and members of civil society. Sources said inputs from the public will also be sought.
The Kovind-led panel, in its 18,626-page report, has suggested implementing the move in two stages. It has suggested simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies as the first step. The next step involves synchronising elections to local bodies and municipalities with polls to Lok Sabha and states. This will be done in such a way that the local body elections are held within 100 days of the Lok Sabha polls. This will, however, require approval by not less than one-half of the states.
The committee has recommended 18 constitutional amendments for One Nation One Election to become a reality.