What is ‘One Nation, One Election’? What constitutional changes would it entail? What are its positive and negative aspects?
‘One Nation, One Election’ implies holding elections for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies simultaneously across India. To implement this system, the Central Government introduced the 129th Constitution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha in December 2024. A 39-member Joint Committee of both Houses (comprising 27 members from the Lok Sabha and 12 from the Rajya Sabha), chaired by P.P. Chaudhary, was constituted in December 2024 to deliberate on this Bill. Although the committee did not submit its report by August 2026, its chairperson stated in August 2026 that former judges and experts had supported the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal. The Bill will be deliberated upon in both Houses of Parliament once the committee’s report is received.
Background of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill
To consider the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal, the Central Government constituted a high-level committee in September 2023 under the chairmanship of former President Ram Nath Kovind. After extensive consultations, the committee submitted its report a year later, which was accepted by the Central Government in September 2024. The key recommendations of this committee are as follows:
1. In the first phase, elections for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies should be held simultaneously.
2. In the second phase, elections for local bodies—such as panchayats and municipalities—should also be conducted concurrently with the aforementioned elections.
3. A single electoral roll should be prepared for both Lok Sabha and legislative assembly elections.
It is noteworthy that the concept of ‘One Nation, One Election’ is not new to India.
The Election Commission first suggested holding Lok Sabha and legislative assembly elections simultaneously back in 1983.
Subsequently, in its 170th report (1999), the Law Commission suggested holding Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly elections simultaneously; however, it proposed that if a Legislative Assembly’s term had not yet expired by that time, the election results should be declared only after the completion of its term. Later, in 2018, the Law Commission recommended holding elections only twice every five years, with all elections conducted during these two cycles.
NITI Aayog also supported the ‘One Nation, One Election’ concept in its 2017 discussion paper.
Which Articles of the Constitution would be affected by the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill?
This Bill entails adding a new Article to the Constitution, amending three existing Articles, and modifying three laws concerning the Legislative Assemblies of Union Territories. The details are as follows:
A. A new Article 82A will be added, incorporating the following provisions:
The President will declare the date of the first meeting of the newly constituted Lok Sabha as the ‘appointed date’; the five-year term for both the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies will be calculated from this date. Elections for both will be held simultaneously upon the completion of this five-year period.
If a Legislative Assembly is dissolved before the completion of its five-year term—due to reasons such as a no-confidence motion—the subsequent election will not be for a full five-year term but only for the remainder of the term leading up to the ‘appointed date.’ The Election Commission may also defer the Legislative Assembly election of a state under special circumstances.
A similar system is currently in place for Panchayat and municipal elections.
B. Amendment to Three Articles
Article 83 will be amended to state that if the Lok Sabha is dissolved before the completion of its five-year term for any reason, the election held thereafter will not be for a full five-year term but only for the remainder of the term leading up to the ‘appointed date.’ However, the resulting House will still be considered a new Lok Sabha.
Article 172 will be amended to state that if a Legislative Assembly is dissolved before the completion of its five-year term for any reason, the election for the new Assembly will not be for a full five-year term but only for the remainder of the original term.
Article 327 will be amended to empower Parliament to enact laws for holding simultaneous elections.
C. Amendments to three Laws
Legislative Assemblies have been constituted in three Union Territories of India. This Bill includes provisions to hold elections for these Assemblies concurrently with the Lok Sabha elections. Consequently, the three laws governing the constitution of Legislative Assemblies in these Union Territories will also be amended. These three laws are:
Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 (Puducherry Legislative Assembly)
Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 (Delhi Legislative Assembly)
Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 (Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly).
Positive Aspects of ‘One Nation, One Election’
The government and proponents of ‘One Nation, One Election’ support the concept based on the following arguments:
1.Reduction in Time and Administrative Expenditure: Holding simultaneous elections will reduce the costs associated with conducting separate elections. It will also result in time savings.
2. Policy Continuity: Policy decisions are often deferred due to the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct upon the announcement of elections, which disrupts policy continuity.
3. No Hindrance to Development Work: Frequent elections disrupt development activities because the administration and the government remain occupied with conducting the elections.
Arguments against ‘One Nation, One Election’
1. High Initial Expenditure – Conducting simultaneous elections across India would require the large-scale procurement of voting machines and other infrastructural facilities, necessitating significant upfront expenditure.
2.Increased costs due to Frequent Mid-term Elections – Under the ‘One Nation, One Election’ model, if the Lok Sabha or State Legislative Assemblies are dissolved prematurely for any reason, fresh elections would be held only for the remainder of the term rather than for a full five-year period. If such dissolutions occur frequently, there would be no actual saving in expenditure.
3. Disadvantage to Regional Political Parties – Simultaneous elections could lead to regional issues being overshadowed, thereby disadvantaging regional parties. Furthermore, there would be reduced focus on regional concerns.
4.Contrary to the Spirit of the Federalism – India’s federal system grants State Legislative Assemblies a distinct existence under the Constitution. Making the tenure of State Assemblies contingent upon the tenure of the Lok Sabha runs counter to the federal spirit.
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