♓Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the 'One Nation, One Election' (ONOE) bill in the Lok Sabha. The bill, which was approved by the Union Cabinet on December 12, has faced strong opposition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described it as a significant step for India's democracy.
☂ONOE in simple terms means that Lok Sabha, state Assembly, and local body (urban or rural) elections will be held in the same year, if not at the same time. This was the norm from independence until 1967, with four electoral cycles held during that period, starting with the first general election in 1951/52. However, this practice occurred only three more times—during the 1957, 1962, and 1967 elections.
Opposition Slams Constitutional Amendment Bills
♛Opposition leaders have sharply criticised the introduction of the Constitution 129th Amendment Bill 2024 and the Union Territories Laws Amendment Bill 2024. They called it a direct assault on the Constitution’s basic structure.
♉Congress MP Manish Tewari argued that the bills violate core constitutional principles. "Beyond the seventh schedule of the Constitution is the basic structure doctrine... one of the essential features is federalism and the structure of our democracy. Therefore, the bills... absolutely assault the basic structure of the Constitution and are beyond the legislative competence of this House," he stated.
ไWhile Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav echoed concerns over the bills' threat to federalism, DMK leader T.R. Baalu raised alarms about the financial burden of conducting a massive electoral exercise. TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee also warned that the amendments contradicted the current Constitution.
🤪NCP-SCP leader Supriya Sulle said, “Bills completely against Federalism. Centre and States have their own terms and tenure. Can't mix the two. Can't empower Election Commission to dissolve Assemblies.”
🐽Despite the Opposition's criticism, TDP MP Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani expressed strong support for the bills. He called the bills "a transformative step forward". The bills will now undergo further legislative scrutiny as the debate continues in Parliament.
'One Nation, One Election': Govt Defends Simultaneous Elections, Calls Concept Not New
ဣThe government highlighted historical precedence and benefits of synchronised polls for governance efficiency.
Ahead of introducing bills on holding simultaneous elections, the government defended the concept. It said it is not new to India. It pointed out that from 1951 to 1967, elections to the Lok Sabha and all state assemblies were held together.
🥀The government explained that the first general elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies were conducted simultaneously in 1951-52 and continued for the next three elections in 1957, 1962 and 1967. However, this cycle of synchronised elections was disrupted in 1968 and 1969 due to the premature dissolution of certain state legislative assemblies.
⭕It said the fourth Lok Sabha was also dissolved prematurely in 1970 and fresh elections were held in 1971. While the first three Lok Sabhas completed their full terms, the fifth Lok Sabha’s tenure was extended until 1977 due to the Emergency, under Article 352. Since then, several Lok Sabha terms, including the sixth, seventh, ninth, 11th, 12th and 13th, were dissolved early.
🍃Similarly, state assemblies have faced frequent disruptions. Premature dissolutions and term extensions became a "recurring challenge", according to the government.
༒It noted that these disruptions have undermined the cycle of simultaneous elections and led to the current pattern of staggered electoral schedules across the country.
♎Citing a report from the high-level committee on 'One Nation, One Election', the government argued that simultaneous polls could help promote consistency in governance.
♔The report, headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, states that ongoing elections often divert political leaders' focus from governance to electioneering. Holding simultaneous elections, the government said, would allow for greater attention to developmental activities and the implementation of policies aimed at improving public welfare.
