One Nation One Election: These 5 states could see early polls if Lok Sabha elections are advanced

The terms of 10 state assemblies are scheduled to end before or around the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

September 5, 2023 11:48 IST

One Nation One Poll: 5 states could see early elections

The Centre has formed a committee headed by President Ramnath Kovind to explore whether simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies can be conducted in India. (File Photo: The Indian Express)

The Centre’s decision to constitute a committee headed by former President Ramnath Kovind to study the feasibility of holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, as was the case till 1967, has created a buzz in political circles ahead of the special session of Parliament convened from September 18-22.

The idea of ‘One Nation One Election’ was first mooted by the Election Commission in 1982, and endorsed by the Law Commission in 1999, has seen increased hype ever since the Narendra Modi government of the BJP-led NDA came to power at the Centre in 2014. However, it has earlier found favour with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2003 and again by senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani in 2010.

Also Read: One Nation, One Election – Explained, idea and arguments around it

The reactions to the idea of holding simultaneous polls have widely found in-principle support cutting across political parties but concerns remain around its implementation. Several bodies such as the Law Commission, Niti Aayog, the standing committee on law and justice as well as the EC have favoured the idea, citing the impact on governance due to the perpetual enforcement of the model code of conduct.

Besides the logistical challenges for the Election Commission to plan for simultaneous elections, its implementation would also require amendments to at least five Articles of the Constitution. As per experts, Article 83 (duration of houses of Parliament), Article 85 (sessions of Parliament, prorogation and dissolution), Article 172 (duration of state legislatures), Article 174 (sessions of state legislature, prorogation and dissolution) and Article 356 (President’s rule) will require amendments by Parliament and ratification by at least 50 per cent of total states.

Also Read: Centre forms 8-member ‘one nation, one election’ panel headed by ex-President Ramnath Kovind

If the idea manages to get approval from Parliament, 10 states where elections are due could go to polls along with the Lok Sabha elections. The terms of these assemblies expire either before or around the time the Lok Sabha elections are scheduled to be held in 2024.

Assembly elections in five states — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Mizoram and Chhattisgarh — are due by the end of this year. However, polls in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Jharkhand may be held along with the Lok Sabha polls earlier if the general elections are advanced.

Also Read: One Nation, One Election: Can India beat election inflation by reverting to pre-1967 routine?