ONOE rollout likely by 2029, says JPC chief; Opp says even BJP allies fear wipeout

The Narendra Modi government's controversial One Nation, One Election (ONOE) proposal could be implemented by 2029, joint parliamentary committee (JPC) chairman P.P. Chaudhary said on Friday, 10 July as Opposition parties stepped up their criticism, warning that the move would erode federalism and weaken regional parties.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the JPC's two-day meeting in Goa, Chaudhary said the panel was consulting stakeholders across the country to build consensus on the proposed electoral reform. He claimed that nearly 99 per cent of the civil society groups consulted so far had backed the idea.

Representatives of the Congress, Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also appeared before the panel and strongly opposed the proposal. While Opposition leaders declined to disclose details of the deliberations, they said the proposed legislation was challenged "clause by clause" during the consultations.

"Even some of the BJP's allies are uneasy about this proposal because they understand that regional parties stand to lose the most. Many of them fear they will be politically wiped out," an Opposition leader who participated in the meeting told reporters.

Another Opposition representative argued that the proposal would tilt the political playing field in favour of large national parties and undermine India's federal structure.

Proponents of ONOE, however, contend that simultaneous elections would reduce the enormous costs associated with frequent polls, minimise governance disruptions caused by the Model Code of Conduct, and improve economic efficiency.

The government and supporters of ONOE have cited estimates suggesting the reform could save up to Rs 7 lakh crore over time and boost India's GDP growth by as much as 1.6 percentage points.

The Centre had introduced the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in Parliament to implement the ONOE. The legislation seeks to synchronise Lok Sabha and Assembly elections by aligning the tenure of state legislatures with that of Parliament.

Assemblies elected after a designated Lok Sabha election would have their terms adjusted so that all legislatures eventually go to polls together.Once the transition is complete, Lok Sabha and Assembly elections across the country would be held simultaneously.

The two Bills were subsequently referred to a 39-member JPC, which is yet to submit its report.

The proposal is largely based on the recommendations of the high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, which was constituted by the Centre in September 2023 to examine the feasibility of simultaneous elections.

After 191 days of consultations and research, the Kovind committee submitted an 18,626-page report to President Droupadi Murmu. The report argued that frequent elections disrupt governance, delay policy implementation and impose significant financial costs on the exchequer.

It recommended a phased rollout beginning with synchronised Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, followed by municipal and panchayat elections within 100 days of the national and state polls.

The panel proposed 18 constitutional amendments to facilitate the transition. While most would require parliamentary approval, measures such as a common electoral roll and a unified voter identity system would also require ratification by at least half of the states.

According to the committee's report, 32 political parties supported the concept during consultations, while 15 opposed it.

The panel noted that several parties currently opposing ONOE had, at different points in the past, expressed support for the idea of simultaneous elections.