The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared the Constitution Amendment Bills necessary to implement the One Nation One Election framework, paving the way for parliamentary debate on the government flagship electoral reform that aims to synchronise Lok Sabha and all state assembly elections into a single simultaneous event. The bills propose a fixed five-year term for all legislative assemblies aligned with the Lok Sabha calendar and a constitutional mechanism for mid-term elections that would only run for the remainder of the original term.
Prime Minister Modi called the reform essential for reducing election fatigue, saving thousands of crores in election expenditure, and allowing uninterrupted governance. The Opposition, led by the Congress and regional parties, called the proposal an assault on federalism and announced they would oppose the bills in Parliament. The Joint Parliamentary Committee on One Nation One Election, headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, submitted a 22,000-page report recommending the reform last year. Constitutional experts are divided, with some supporting the efficiency argument and others warning of practical implementation challenges given India federal structure.
