Today, the central government has taken a significant step toward implementing ‘One Nation, One Election’. The Union Cabinet approved the report from the committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind. The government will introduce the bill in the next winter session of parliament.
In September 2023, the central government appointed a committee under Ram Nath Kovind to explore the possibility of ‘One Nation, One Election’. After 191 days of research and expert consultations, the committee completed an 18,626-page report and submitted it to the government in March. The Union Cabinet has now given its approval.
The committee recommended conducting elections in two phases across the country. In the first phase, Lok Sabha and all state assembly elections should take place. The second phase should include panchayat and municipal elections, held within 100 days of the Lok Sabha and assembly elections. The committee agreed to start ‘One Nation, One Election’ from 2029.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the ‘One Nation, One Election’ system will be implemented in two phases, and a unified voter list will be published for all elections. He highlighted that the system has already received broad support during initial discussions.
The BJP has strongly backed ‘One Nation, One Election’. Earlier this week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed that the NDA government will implement this system. Last month, during his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also pushed for ‘One Nation, One Election’, stating that frequent elections block the country’s development.
Opposition parties, however, criticized the move. Fifteen parties, including Congress, have opposed the idea. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge argued that the BJP is using ‘One Nation, One Election’ to divert attention from other issues. He claimed that the plan would not succeed, as the public would not support it.