One Nation One Election: What next after getting approval from Cabinet? What are challenges in implementing it?

One Nation One Election Challenges: The central government has approved the proposal for 'One Nation One Election', aimed at conducting simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and local bodies. This initiative has been a long-standing part of the BJP's electoral reforms. The government plans to build a nationwide consensus to facilitate its phased implementation.

Implementation group will be formed

The cabinet has approved the recommendations of the high-level committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind. This committee has advised to conduct simultaneous elections. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that an implementation group will be formed which will take these recommendations forward. Its various aspects will be discussed across the country in the next few months.

Initially LS and state assembly polls will be held together

Minister Vaishnaw shared that the 'One Nation One Election' scheme will be rolled out in two phases. Initially, Lok Sabha and state assembly elections will be held together, followed by local body elections within 100 days. This approach marks the beginning of efforts to synchronize the election process.

18 constitutional amendments proposed

The committee has recommended 18 constitutional amendments, most of which do not require the approval of the state assemblies. However, some amendments, such as Single Electoral Roll and Single Voter ID Card, need the approval of more than half of the states. For this, the Constitution Amendment Bills will have to be passed in Parliament.

Law Commission may release the report soon

The call for simultaneous elections has been included in the BJP's manifesto, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi being a strong proponent of this concept. Additionally, the Law Commission is expected to release a report soon, detailing this proposal and its potential to reduce election costs. This will allow increased investment in development initiatives.

Challenges in implementation

There will also be many challenges to implement 'One Nation One Election'. First of all, the constitution will have to be amended. Secondly, the consent of all the state governments will have to be taken on this. 

The third challenge will be that even if all the constitutional amendments and the consent of the states are obtained, the management of organizing elections on such a large scale will also be challenging. Also, conducting simultaneous elections in the entire country will put a huge burden on the administrative system and the Election Commission.

Seeking National Consensus

The government emphasizes the need for national-level discussions and consensus on this issue. In the upcoming months, extensive consultations will take place to gather the opinions of all parties, aiming for a successful implementation. Experts believe that this initiative could represent a significant reform in streamlining the electoral process in the country.