In a significant move, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared the proposal to conduct simultaneous elections in India under 'One Nation, One Election'. It has decided to present the Bill in the Parliament in the next session. The proposal was green-lighted on the basis of recommendations by a high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind.


As per the Committee's recommendations, the simultaneous elections would be held in two phases. While the first one will cover the Lok Sabha polls and Assembly polls, the second phase will cover the local body elections, which would be held within the first 100 days of the first phase.


Union Minister Giriraj Singh said that the recommendations were approved only after discussions with all previous Chief Justices and political leaders. He emphasised that it was needed for the country's development and to maintain law and order.


"PM Narendra Modi was always in favour of one nation one election. Discussions were held with all previous Chief Justices, political leaders, political parties, chamber of commerce, and today finally the cabinet has approved the recommendations... One nation one election is needed for the development of the country and also to maintain law and order... Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi should tell whether one nation one election was in place before 1966," Singh said.






As the Cabinet cleared the One Nation, One Election proposal, reactions started flowing in from the opposition alliance leaders, who opposed the move calling it "impractical" and "plan to destabilise the states".


Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge rubbished the Cabinet's decision. Stating Congress's stance on the Bill, he said: "We don't stand with this. One Nation One Election cannot work in a democracy. Elections need to be held as and when required if we want our democracy to survive."






Meanwhile, Congress leader KC Venugopal said: " It is not at all practical in this country. They want to divert attention from present issues."






Opposing the decision, AIMMS's Asaduddin Owaisi said that the Cabinet's decision compromises democracy. Stressing that he has always opposed it, he said: "I have consistently opposed One Nation One Elections because it is a solution in search of a problem. It destroys federalism and compromises democracy, which are part of the basic structure of the constitution."  


"Multiple elections aren’t a problem for anyone except Modi & Shah. Just because they have a compulsive need to campaign in even municipal & local body elections does not mean that we need simultaneous polls. Frequent & periodic elections improve democratic accountability," he added.


'Gimmick, Not In Country's Favour': Congress's Harish Rawat


Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Congress leader Harish Rawat called the deicison a "gimmick" and that 'One Nation, One Election' is not in the country's favour and its federal structure. 


"They can see an inevitable defeat in Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana and also in by-elections. I have heard that the BJP has got the information that even RSS top leadership thinks that the BJP is going to lose in Maharashtra and Jharkhand... It (One Nation, One Election) will need many constitutional amendments, but they can't pass it, either in Lok Sabha or in Rajya Sabha on their own... This is not acceptable as it is not in the favour of the country or the federal structure that we have," he said.






Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, too, opposed the 'One Nation, One Election' plan and said: "J&K elections are being organised in three phases and they are talking about One Nation, One Election, I don't know what does this mean...AAP party is the B team of the BJP and when the time comes everyone will agree...Congress will win the Haryana and J&K elections..."






'If They Cannot Conduct Simultaneous Polls In 4 States, How Will They Manage Whole Nation?'


Aam Aadmi Party MP Sandeep Pathak questioned the Cabinet's decision as he asked how simultaneous polls would be conducted in the country when it could not organise simultaneous Assembly elections in four states. He also asked if the clearance of the proposal was a "sinister plan to destabilise states".


Sandeep Pathak said: "Few days ago, elections for four states were to be announced, but they (BJP) announced elections for only Haryana and J&K and left Maharashtra and Jharkhand. If they cannot conduct elections in four states simultaneously, how will they manage simultaneous elections in the whole country... What if a state government falls before completing its full term? Will the President's rule be imposed in that state? Is this a sinister plan to destabilise states?"






'Foolish Opinion That This Is A Single Country': DMK


Reacting to 'One Nation, One Election', DMK leader TKS Elangovan hit out at the Centre, calling its opinion "foolish". He said that the government should understand that India is not a single nation, but has many castes, classes, and cultures. 


"The problem with this govt (Centre) is that it says something and does something else...They should understand that this is not one nation, it is a nation with 22 languages, many religions, many castes, classes and cultures. They are of the foolish opinion that this is a single country and they can do anything," he said.






BSP's 'Positive' Stand On One Nation, One Election


Meanwhile, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati supported the Cabinet's decision, despite the High-Level Committee report on simultaneous elections stating that the party submitted a response against the proposal.


In a post on X, she stated: "Our party's stand on the approval given today by the Union Cabinet to the proposal to hold simultaneous elections of Lok Sabha, Assembly and local bodies in the country under the system of 'One Country, One Election' is positive, but its objective must be in the national and public interest."






The Kovind committee had submitted its report to the government in March ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections 2024. The panel recommended Centre to take a "one-time transitory measure" and identify an "appointed date" immediately after a Lok Sabha election. The terms of all the state assemblies that go to polls after the decided date would be expired with the Parliament.


Parties In Favour & Against One Nation, One Election


According to the report by the High-Level Committee, a total of 62 political parties gave their response regarding the proposal for simultaneous elections. Out of these, 47 provided feedback. 32 parties agreed with the simultaneous elections, while 15 of them disagreed. 15 other parties did not register their responses despite request for suggestions.


The parties which agreed to the simultaneous polls in the nation are National People's Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, All Jharkhand Student Union (AJSU), Apna Dal (Soney Lal), Biju Janata Dal, ASOM Gana Parishad, Janata Dal (United), Mizo National Front, Lok Jan Shakti Party, Shiv Sena, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, Shiromani Akali Dal, and United People's Party Liberal. Pattali Makkal Katchi, Tamil Maanila Congress, Republican Party of India (Athawale), Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal, Bharatiya Samaj Party, United Kisan Vikas Party, also supported the proposal. 


Other parties that responded in favour of the simultaneous elections were Gorakha National Liberal Front, Hindustani Aavam Morcha, Rashtriya Lok Jan Shakti Party, Rashtrawadi Congress Party (Ajit Pawar), Democratic Progressive Azad Party, and Nishad Party among others.


Those against the proposal include Communist Party of India (MarxistLeninist) Liberation, Social Democratic Party of India, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Samajwadi Party, Naga People's Front, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Communist Party of India, Aam Aadmi Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI (M), Indian National Congress, All India Trinamool Congress, and All India Majilis-EIttehadul Muslimeen.