One Nation One Election: In a significant move towards implementing simultaneous elections across India, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal, following the recommendations of the Ram Nath Kovind-led high-level panel. The move has gained support from the NDA allies and some opposition parties but a total of 15 opposition parties including Congress has rejected the proposal.
Committee’s Report and Cabinet Approval.
The high-level committee, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, submitted its findings on the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal earlier this year, just before the Lok Sabha elections were announced. The Union Cabinet unanimously accepted the report during its meeting, marking a crucial step in the law ministry’s agenda for the first 100 days.
The committee proposed that Lok Sabha and state assembly elections be conducted simultaneously, followed by aligning local body elections within the next 100 days. After the Cabinet’s clearance, the proposal will be presented in Parliament during the upcoming winter session. The government needs a majority in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha to turn the proposal into law.
Political Support and Opposition
The high-level committee reached out to 62 political parties for their views. Of the 47 parties that responded, 32 supported the simultaneous elections, while 15 opposed it. The 32 parties in favour include NDA allies as well as some opposition parties including Sharad Pawar’s NCP and Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP.
Numbers In Lok Sabha
The BJP and its allies have a total strength of 293 MPs in Lok Sabha. The BJP needs a two-third majority -364 MPs – to get the bill passed in the Lok Sabha. With the support of the Samajwadi Party, the NDA will have 330 MPs in favour and it will then need 34 more to get the bill passed.
On the opposing side, the INDIA bloc, consisting of parties like the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and Trinamool Congress (TMC), collectively holds 203 MPs. The combined strength of the 15 parties that opposed the proposal stands at 205 MPs in the Lok Sabha. Thus, the passing the bill in Lok Sabha will also be a challenge for the NDA.
Challenges in Rajya Sabha
The proposal needs to be passed by both Houses of Parliament. In the Rajya Sabha as well, the NDA needs a two-third majority to get the bill passed. Out of the 245 seats in the Rajya Sabha, the NDA holds 112, while the Opposition parties control 85. To secure a two-thirds majority, the government will need a minimum of 164 votes. With the support of an independent and six nominated MPs, the NDA has a total 120 MPs in the Rajya Sabha, not enough to get the bill passed.
Support and Resistance from States
Another challenge lies in obtaining ratification from state governments, as the proposal touches upon state subjects under the Constitution. “Since these amendments touch upon State subjects (Entry 5) of Schedule VII, Part IX and Part IX A of the Constitution of India, ratification by no less than half of the States will be required under Article 368(2) of the Constitution of India,” said the High-Level Committee in its report of ‘One Nation One Election’.
Out of the 31 states and UTs including Jammu and Kashmir which have legislatures, the BJP-led NDA rules 20 while the Congress-led INDIA bloc rules nine. Thus, getting approval from the state legislature won’t be an issue for the NDA. Even if Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir go to INDIA bloc post-polls, the NDA will still rule 18 states, enough for ratification of the bill.
The ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative is a bold step toward streamlining India’s election process, aiming to reduce costs and bring uniformity to governance. However, political opposition and the need for state-level ratification pose significant challenges that the ruling coalition will need to navigate in the coming months.
