One Nation, One Election Bill Faces Delay as Monsoon Session Deadline Remains Unclear

New Delhi: At present, there are no signs of progress regarding the central government's ambitious 'One Nation, One Election' (ONOE) scheme. No fixed time limit has been set for the Constitution Amendment Bill related to this proposal in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament. This indicates that the government wants to give priority to broad political consensus and parliamentary process instead of rushing into this issue. This bill is currently under consideration with the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).

Will the bill not be presented in the monsoon session?

According to sources, no fixed time limit has been set for passing the 'One Nation, One Election' bill in the monsoon session or for holding the final discussion on it. The JPC is currently taking suggestions and opinions from various parties. In such a situation, the government will decide the further strategy only after the report of the committee comes.

What is the government's plan?

The objective of 'One Nation, One Election' is to hold Lok Sabha and Assembly elections for all the states simultaneously so that the expense of conducting repeated elections is reduced and the development work is not affected by the code of conduct that remains in force for a long time. This proposal requires many amendments in the Constitution and hence it will have to be passed with a special majority in the Parliament.

Why is the role of JPC considered important?

Parliament had already sent this bill to the Joint Parliamentary Committee. The committee is gathering opinions from political parties, experts, Election Commission and other stakeholders. It is believed that based on the recommendations of the committee, the government can also amend the bill. Therefore, the government seems to be in no mood to rush before the final report comes.

What are the objections of the opposition?

Many opposition parties including Congress are continuously opposing this proposal. He says that in a country with a federal structure like India, it is not practical to hold elections for all the states simultaneously. The opposition also argues that this may affect states' rights and regional issues. On the other hand, the government claims that holding simultaneous elections will save administrative resources and make the governance system more effective.

Has the challenge for the government increased?

To pass a constitutional amendment bill, a special majority is required in both houses. In the current political situation, it is not considered easy to garner widespread support for the government. In such a situation, the process of moving forward on the bill may remain slow until political consensus is reached. This is the reason why the possibility of any major decision on this issue in the monsoon session is considered to be less at present.