One Nation, One Election bill gets approved by union cabinet, say sources

Former President Ram Nath Kovind chairs the committee on `One Ntion, One Election` initiative. File pic

The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the 'One Nation, One Election,' bill in the parliament, a huge step towards the electoral process in India, reported news agency ANI.

A thorough bill is likely to follow this decision, which will pave the way for unified election across the nation.

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Earlier on Wednesday, former President of India Ram Nath Kovind stated that the Central government must build a consensus on the 'One Nation, One Election' initiative, emphasising that the issue transcends political interests and serves the nation as a whole, stated ANI.

Kovind, who heads the committee on the issues, said, "The Central government will have to build consensus. This issue is not in the interest of any party but the nation. It (One Nation, One Election) will be a game-changer--it's not my opinion but that of economists, who believe that after its implementation, the country's GDP will rise by 1-1.5 per cent."

The Union Cabinet in September this year, approved the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal, which aims to hold simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, along with urban body and panchayat polls, within a span of 100 days, stated ANI.

The recommendations were outlined in a report by a high-level panel chaired by former President Kovind, stated ANI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had praised the decision following the Cabinet's approval, calling it an important step making India's democracy more participative.

"The Cabinet has accepted the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections. I complement our former President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind Ji, for spearheading this effort and consulting a wide range of stakeholders. This is an important step towards making our democracy even more vibrant and participative," PM Modi posted on X.

Meanwhile, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday showed his support for holding simultaneous elections of state and Lok Sabha. He argued that frequent elections result in significant wastage of both time and public funds.

Chouhan noted that frequent elections disrupt public welfare programmes and result in substantial expenditures of public money, stated ANI.

"I am an agriculture minister, but during the elections, I spent three months campaigning. It wastes the time of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, Ministers, MPs, MLAs, officers, and employees. All development work comes to a standstill. Then, new announcements have to be made," Chouhan said.

(With inputs from ANI)