Central Cabinet Approves for One Nation, One Election

The Central Cabinet has given the green signal for simultaneous elections. The Cabinet has approved the concept of "One Nation, One Election." The report prepared by former President Ram Nath Kovind has been approved by the Central Cabinet. The bill for simultaneous elections is expected to be approved in the upcoming winter sessions.

The Ram Nath Kovind Committee submitted an 18,626-page report to the President after conducting an extensive study and gathering opinions from millions of people. However, implementing simultaneous elections requires constitutional amendments to five provisions.

The Ram Nath Kovind Committee discussed the issue with several former election officials personally and considered their opinions. However, parties like Congress argue that holding elections nationwide in one go is not feasible. The BJP, on the other hand, claims that conducting nationwide elections simultaneously would reduce costs.

Meanwhile, according to Articles 324A and 325, revising the voter lists is mandatory. The committee recommended a two-phase approach for simultaneous elections. The idea is to first hold elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, followed by local body elections within a hundred days of completing the first phase.

The committee recommended that if Parliament or the Assembly is dissolved before the stipulated term, elections should be held only for the remaining term. State support is necessary for this process. The extent of state acceptance remains a matter of discussion.