Explained: How will Centre implement One Nation One Election?

In a major decision, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the recommendation of a panel headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind for ‘One Nation One Election’.

“This is an important step towards making our democracy even more vibrant and participative,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and complimented Kovind for spearheading the effort and consulting a wide range of stakeholders.

The Kovind-led panel had submitted the report in March ahead of the announcement of Lok Sabha elections.

Simultaneous polls: Recommendations & observations

— Elections have been held simultaneously between 1951 and 1967.

— Law Commission: 170th report (1999): One election to Lok Sabha and all legislative assemblies in five years.

— Parliamentary Committee 79th Report (2015): Suggest methods for simultaneous elections in two phases.

— A high-level committee chaired by Ram Nath Kovind extensively consulted a broad spectrum of stakeholders including political parties and experts.

How will Centre implement ‘One Nation One Election’?

The government seeks to implement the plan in two phases.

First phase: Conduct Lok Sabha and Assembly elections simultaneously.

Second phase: Conduct local body elections (panchayat and municipalities) within 100 days of general elections.

— A common electoral roll will be used for all elections, with voter ID cards prepared by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in coordination with state election authorities.

— Initiate detailed discussions throughout the country.

— Constitute an implementation group.

What did the panel say about two phases?

The Committee recommends that in the first step, simultaneous elections to the House of the People or the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies be held. In the second step, the elections to Municipalities and Panchayats will be synchronised with the House of the People and state legislative assemblies in such a way that Municipality and Panchayat elections are held within a hundred days of holding of elections of the House of the People and the state legislative assemblies.

What happens if there is hung House?

— The committee recommended that in the event of a hung House, no-confidence motion, or any such event, fresh elections may be held to constitute the new House.

— Where fresh elections are held for the House of the People, the tenure of the House of the People will be only for the unexpired term of the immediately preceding full term of the House of the People and the expiration of this period shall operate as a dissolution of the House.

— Where fresh elections are held for the state legislative assemblies, then such new legislative assembly unless sooner dissolved, shall continue up to the end of the full term of the House of the People.