One Nation One Election Bill To Be Introduced In Lok Sabha Today

One Nation One Election: Amid the buzz over the much-anticipated 'One Nation, One Election' bill, it is slated to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The bill provides for simultaneous elections. The listed agenda of the Lower House for Tuesday includes the Constitution Amendment Bill concerning simultaneous elections. The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill will be introduced by Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal.

Besides the ‘One Nation, One Election,’ Meghwal is also set to introduce tomorrow a bill to amend the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963; the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991; and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019. This bill seeks to align elections for assemblies in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry for purposes of simultaneous elections.

Earlier this month, the Union Cabinet approved the 'One Nation, One Election' bill. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies are in support of the bill, several opposition parties, including Congress, Trinamool Congress, and DMK, are opposed to it.

The Union Cabinet had in September accepted the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections. The panel was headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind. The recommendations were outlined in a report by a high-level panel chaired by former President Kovind.

The panel recommended the implementation of simultaneous polls in two phases. It recommended holding Lok Sabha and Assembly elections simultaneously in the first phase and conducting local body elections (panchayat and municipalities) within 100 days of general elections. It said there should be a common electoral roll for all elections.

The 'One Nation, One Election' bill has sparked a nationwide debate, with the ruling BJP and its allies supporting the move while opposition parties express apprehension over its practicality and potential implications. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh demanded the bill be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for detailed scrutiny, asserting it undermines democracy.