Center considers tabling one-nation bill, poll | Latest news India

The proposal to align elections was part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s 2024 election platform and has the backing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but it is fiercely opposed by a large number of political parties and activists who claim it would undermine accountability democratic.

The bill which is expected to be submitted for consideration by a parliamentary committee has not yet been circulated among MPs, but there is speculation that it could be presented during the winter session which will end on Dec. 20, the people cited above said.

In September, the Union Cabinet approved the recommendations of a high-level committee – headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind – on implementing simultaneous polls across India, paving the way for a wide-ranging but controversial reform that could reshape the world’s largest democracy.

The bill is likely a constitutional amendment and would require the legislatures of at least half the states to ratify it.

Several opposition parties, including the Congress, the Trinamool Congress and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, among others, opposed the move; The government wants to reach consensus on the bill and may refer it to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) for detailed discussions, the people cited above said.

The 18,000-page Kovind report outlined a phased approach to synchronizing elections, starting first with the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, and continuing with local body polls within 100 days.

Prime Minister Modi has repeatedly argued for simultaneous elections to cut spending and reduce restrictions on policymaking.

The Kovind panel – established by the Union government on September 2, 2023 – received responses from 47 political parties, of which 32 were in favor of simultaneous elections. These parties – including the BJP, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the Janata Dal-United (JDU) and the Shiv Sena – said the proposal would save scarce resources, protect social harmony and stimulate economic development.

However, 13 political parties opposed the simultaneous elections – including the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party and (M) – expressing fears that it could violate the basic structure of the Constitution, be undemocratic and anti-federal, marginalize regional parties, encourage domination. of national parties and lead to a presidential form of government.

The panel finally suggested an amendment to the Constitution to introduce, as a first step, synchronized polls to elect the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. He also suggested synchronizing municipal and panchayat elections with the Lok Sabha and assemblies later.

National and state elections are conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and local polls are conducted by state election commissions.

Indicating that 2029 could be the year to begin the first stage, the panel recommended that the terms of some state assemblies be reduced to hold simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha and state legislatures after the five-year term of the next one. Lok Sabha ends.

The panel proposed a new legal regime, requiring certain amendments to allow for simultaneous ballots, although it remained adamant that the suggested changes are not anti-federal, do not violate the basic structure of the Constitution or will not result in a presidential form of government.

To hold elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies simultaneously, the panel recommended amendments to Articles 83 (duration of Lok Sabha) and Article 172 (duration of state legislative assemblies), which provide that their tenure will be five years “unless they are dissolved earlier”. by the president and state governors respectively.

From the first elections in independent India in 1952 until 1967, elections were held simultaneously across the country.

But since the Lok Sabha and state assemblies can be dissolved before the end of their term, state and national elections were subsequently held at different times.

Several committees, including a parliamentary committee, the Niti Aayog and the Election Commission of India, have studied simultaneous polls in the past, supporting the idea but pointing to logistical problems.

HT contacted political leaders for their comments but received none.