The ‘one country, one election’ scheme, which aims to hold Lok Sabha and state assembly elections simultaneously across the country, has sparked controversy. Let this plan be implemented“Le West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu etc. Assemblies elected in 2026 cannot continue their full five-year term. The term of these states’ assemblies is likely to expire coinciding with the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
To achieve the goal of ‘One Country, One Election’, the Central Government has introduced the Constitutional Amendment Bills and the Joint Parliamentary Committee has been entrusted with the task of comprehensive review of these Bills. Committee President P.S. P.S. Chowdhury said thisVisited various states of the country to gather views of state governments, political parties, constitutional experts, various sections of society and other stakeholders. He said the system would make governance more coherent, reduce the cost of re-election and give the administration more time for development work.
According to the explanation of the committee‘One country-one election’ does not mean voting on the same day across the country. Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections will be held periodically but the election cycle will come once every five years.
The most important thing in the implementation of this plan is the coordination of the election schedule. At present, the term of the legislature ends at different times in different states. Therefore, the term of some state legislatures needs to be shortened or in some cases extended to form a single electoral cycle.‘B may be. The terms of the assemblies of West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which were held in 2026, were due to last until 2031, but are likely to be re-elected in 2029 if the combined electoral system is introduced.
According to Article 172 of the Constitution, the term of office of the State Legislature is five years in normal circumstances. Therefore, it is necessary to amend the constitution to reduce the term. Therefore, the proposed system is constitutionalVarious aspects of the political and federal system were widely discussed.
The main rationale behind ‘One Country-One Election’ is to make governance more stable and effective. At present, elections are held in some state almost every year, leading to the implementation of model codes of conduct and delaying many developmental decisions. According to the Centre, integrated elections will reduce revenue expenditure, reduce pressure on administrative manpower and allow more focus on development activities.
According to criticsThe five-year term of an elected legislature is part of the people’s democratic mandate. Expiring earlier risks not fully realizing the voter’s mandate. It could also affect the independent constitutional position of the Center and the states, according to many experts.
This proposal is also significant for Assam. The Assembly is normally scheduled to expire in 2026, however, a consolidated electoral system will be implemented.“The state may face re-election but, all these possibilities will be confirmed only after passing necessary laws and constitutional amendments in Parliament.
Therefore, this proposal cannot be considered as a final decision for the time being. Parliamentary Joint Committee ReportParliamentary discussions, constitutional amendments and possible judicial review will only clarify the final form of the ‘one country-one election’ system.