Prime Minister Narendra Modi had offered strong endorsement of ONOE during his Independence Day address.
The Union Cabinet approved the "One Nation, One Election" (ONOE) proposal on Wednesday, September 18, aiming to synchronise India's election cycles by permitting simultaneous polls across the country. This initiative is based on recommendations from a high-level committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
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Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, speaking to the media, explained that simultaneous elections would be conducted in two phases. The first phase would involve Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. The second step outlines that municipality and panchayat elections should be held within 100 days of the preceding elections. This framework, as suggested by the Kovind committee, aims to streamline electoral cycles and ensure that national and state elections are held together.
The committee submitted its report in March 2024, just before the Lok Sabha elections. It recommended a "one-time transitory measure" where the government would set an “appointed date” after a Lok Sabha election. State assemblies scheduled to hold elections after this date would have their terms aligned with the next general election.
Despite a reduced majority in the Lok Sabha, the BJP-led NDA government is still committed to ONOE, a plan that requires constitutional amendments. Union Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed that the ONOE legislation would be implemented within the current term of the NDA government, urging support from the entire nation for this initiative.
However, the ONOE initiative has been slammed by 15 opposition parties, with the Congress branding it as an impractical move. Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge termed the plan as “an attempt to divert the attention of the public.”
