In a step towards simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared the proposal for One Nation One Election. The bill for holding simultaneous polls is likely to be introduced in the upcoming winter session of Parliament, sources said.
The development came after the report of the high-level committee, which was headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind, was placed before the Union Cabinet.
Addressing a press conference, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said One Nation One Poll would be implemented in two phases, stressing that the proposal received support from a large number of parties.
"A common electoral roll will be made for all elections... an implementation group will be formed to take forward the recommendations of the Kovind panel," Vaishnaw said.
The Modi 2.0 government had constituted the panel to examine the feasibility of simultaneous elections, one of the key promises made by the BJP in its Lok Sabha poll manifesto. The panel submitted its report to the President in March this year.
In its voluminous 18,626-page report, the panel has suggested simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies as the first step. For this, the approval of states is not required for the constitutional amendment.
The next step involves synchronising elections to municipalities and the panchayats with polls to Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. This will be done in such a way that local body elections are held within 100 days of general elections. This will, however, require ratification by not less than one-half of the states.
The panel has recommended as many as 18 constitutional amendments for One Nation One Election to become a reality.
In recent weeks, the BJP has intensified its pitch for a One Nation One Election, which also found a mention by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech.
Saying that simultaneous polls were the "need of the hour", PM Modi contended that frequent polls were creating hurdles in the country's progress.
Earlier this week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah doubled down on the issue, saying One Nation One Election would be implemented within the NDA's current tenure.
Several opposition parties, including the Congress, AAP and Shiv Sena (UBT), have opposed simultaneous polls, alleging that it would benefit the ruling party at the Centre. The NDA's allies like JD(U) and Chirag Paswan's party have backed the idea.
Source: India Today