Cabinet Approves Bills for Simultaneous Elections

On 12th December, 2024, the Union Cabinet approved two Bills to facilitate simultaneous elections (One Nation One Election) for the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, set for introduction in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.

Key Points

Legislative Amendments: One Bill proposes a Constitutional amendment, while the other seeks changes to laws governing Union Territories with Legislative Assemblies.
Federal Concerns: Tamil Nadu and West Bengal CMs criticized the move as undermining democracy and federalism.
Parliamentary Process: Bills expected to be referred to a joint parliamentary committee for detailed scrutiny.
High-Level Committee Recommendations: Excludes synchronizing local body elections, avoiding further Constitutional amendments.
Rationale for Simultaneous Polls: Advocates cite reduced electoral expenditure and minimized disruption of governance due to repeated model code of conduct implementation.