One Nation One Election: A new committee, led by former President Ram Nath Kovind, has been appointed to examine the feasibility of implementing a "one nation, one election" system in India. This move represents significant progress in addressing a long-debated proposal that has been discussed by various panels.
The announcement comes just one day after the Center declared a special parliamentary session scheduled from September 18 to 22, with the agenda kept confidential.
While there is widespread speculation that a bill on 'one nation, one election' may be introduced during this session, the government has yet to confirm this.
The concept of 'one nation, one election' entails holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections across the country, a practice that was common in the early stages of Indian elections.
Both the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have advocated for this idea, and it was included in the party's 2014 Lok Sabha election manifesto.
Historically, India held simultaneous elections until 1967, with four elections conducted in this manner. However, this practice was discontinued after some state assemblies were prematurely dissolved in 1968-69. Additionally, the Lok Sabha was dissolved a year ahead of schedule in 1970, leading to mid-term elections in 1971.
The BJP's 2014 Lok Sabha Election Manifesto pledged to work towards conducting Assembly and Lok Sabha elections simultaneously, aiming to reduce election expenses for both political parties and the government while providing greater stability for state governments.
Prime Minister Modi had previously addressed the issue of simultaneous elections in 2016, and shortly after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he convened an all-party meeting to discuss this matter, although several opposition parties chose not to participate.
