The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill, which is expected to be introduced during the ongoing winter session of Parliament, sources told HT. The legislation will be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further examination.
About ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill
The bill, which aims to enable simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections, is a key priority for the government. In September, the Union Cabinet approved a proposal based on the report of a high-powered committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the proposal, stating, “The Cabinet has accepted the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections.” He added, “I commend our former President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind Ji, for leading this effort and engaging with a broad range of stakeholders. This is a significant step toward making our democracy more vibrant and participative,” in a post on X.
The high-level committee recommended conducting Lok Sabha and state assembly elections concurrently in the first phase, followed by synchronised local body elections within 100 days.
On Wednesday, former President Kovind emphasized the need for consensus on the ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative, urging the Centre to engage all stakeholders in discussions.
“The Central government will have to build consensus. This issue is not in the interest of any party but the nation. It (One Nation, One Election) will be a game-changer–it’s not my opinion but that of economists, who believe that after its implementation, the country’s GDP will rise by 1-1.5 per cent,” Kovind said.Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan too voiced his support on Wednesday for holding simultaneous elections to the state assemblies and the Lok Sabha, arguing that frequent elections lead to significant wastage of time and public funds. “I am an agriculture minister, but during the elections, I spent three months campaigning. It wastes the time of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, Ministers, MPs, MLAs, officers, and employees. All development work comes to a standstill. Then, new announcements have to be made,” the minister was quoted by ANI as saying.
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