The One Nation One Election proposal has been approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday. According to reports, the bill will be introduced in the winter session. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised One Nation One Election in 2014.
In his speech from the Red Fort on Independence Day on August 15, the Prime Minister had advocated for One Nation-One Election. He had said that frequent elections are creating obstacles in the progress of the country.
The committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, formed to consider One Nation One Election, submitted its report to President Draupadi Murmu on March 14. The report is 18 thousand 626 pages long.
The panel was constituted on 2 September 2023. This report is the result of 191 days of research after discussions with stakeholders-experts. The committee has suggested extending the tenure of all assemblies till 2029.
5 suggestions from the panel…
- The tenure of all state assemblies should be extended till the next Lok Sabha elections i.e. 2029.
- In case of a hung assembly (no one has a majority) or a no-confidence motion, fresh elections can be held for the remaining term of 5 years.
- In the first phase, Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections can be held together, after which in the second phase, local body elections can be held within 100 days.
- The Election Commission will prepare single voter list and voter ID card in consultation with state election officers for Lok Sabha, Assembly, local body elections.
- The Kovind panel has recommended advance planning of equipment, manpower and security forces to hold simultaneous elections.