The BJP aims to implement the ‘One Nation, One Vote’ policy by the time of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. P.P. Chaudhary, the chairperson of the relevant Joint Parliamentary Committee, clarified this plan on Friday.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the parliamentary committee meeting in Goa, Chaudhary said, “Views from various stakeholders are being sought, and efforts are underway to build consensus. It is possible to implement this policy by the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.”
The Centre has introduced the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, in Parliament. The proposal entails holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. To achieve this, the tenure of State Assemblies would need to be either curtailed or extended. According to the proposal, elections for municipalities and panchayats would be held within 100 days of the parliamentary and assembly elections.
This proposal by the Centre has faced strong opposition; several opposition parties have raised objections before the committee, citing specific provisions of the Bill.
In addition to Parliament’s approval, the consent of half of the state legislatures will also be required to implement this policy. The Centre has constituted a committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind to introduce the ‘One Nation, One Vote’ policy. A key argument put forward by the Kovind committee is that adopting this system could save approximately ₹7 lakh crore.
Opposition parties like the CPI(M) have stated that this policy disregards two fundamental features of the Constitution: democracy and the federal structure. In the Kesavananda Bharati case, the Supreme Court ruled that the basic features of the Constitution cannot be altered; yet, this bill attempts to do exactly that.
The opposition points out that an allocation of ₹466 crore was made to the Election Commission for the Lok Sabha elections, with additional expenditure incurred across various states. However, in the Indian context, this financial figure is not substantial. Elections have been held in various states at different times since 1967, and there is no evidence to suggest that development has stalled as a result.
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