The parliamentary committee reviewing the One Nation, One Election (ONOE) bill is expected to seek an extension to its current tenure, as stated by the panel's chairperson, P P Chaudhary, on Friday. The committee requires additional time to gather perspectives from various stakeholders, including national and regional political parties.
The current tenure is set to end on the first day of the last week of the upcoming Winter Session, which is scheduled from December 1 to December 19. According to Chaudhary, the committee needs more time to complete its work. The Lok Sabha had previously approved an extension for the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to submit its report on the 'One Nation, One Election' bill until the first day of the last week of the 2025 winter session. The motion, moved by JPC chairman PP Chaudhary, covers the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill and Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill. The bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2024 and were referred to the Joint Committee of both Houses for further examination.
Chaudhary emphasized that opinions from various constitutional experts suggest that the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, also known as the one-nation-one-election (ONOE) bill, does not violate the Constitution's basic structure. This point has been a key argument of opposition parties against the proposed law.
The NDA government's push for simultaneous polls has received strong support from the Law Commission. Sources indicate that the Law Commission believes the "refreshing concept of synchronising of elections" is in the larger national interest and falls "squarely within the periphery of amending powers of the Parliament".
The Law Commission, in its written opinion to the committee, stated that the proposed bill aims to strengthen democracy by ensuring stability, reducing the constant drain of elections, and allowing governments to focus on governance, rather than undermining it. Representatives from the Law Commission, along with those from the Election Commission of India, are scheduled to appear before the Chaudhary-led committee on December 4.
The committee has reportedly rejected arguments from opposition parties and some experts that the bill violates the Constitution's basic structure and federal character. It has also supported some of the more contentious provisions of the bill, particularly those related to the extensive powers granted to the Election Commission under its Article 82A(5) to defer an assembly poll if the poll body deems it necessary.
The 'One Nation, One Election' proposal aims to align the election cycles of the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, allowing voters to cast their ballots for both tiers of government on the same day. This synchronisation seeks to address logistical challenges, reduce costs, and minimise disruptions caused by frequent elections. The High-Level Committee Report on Simultaneous Elections in India, released in 2024, provided a roadmap for implementing this vision, with its recommendations accepted by the Union Cabinet on September 18, 2024. The committee, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, suggested a two-phase approach. Phase one involves synchronising Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assembly elections, while Phase two would synchronise Municipality and Panchayat elections within 100 days of the first phase.
