NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved two bills, including one to amend the Constitution to implement “one nation, one election”, and the draft legislations are likely to be introduced in Parliament in the ongoing winter session, sources said.As of now, the Cabinet has given its nod to draft legislations to hold simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies only, the sources said.While a high-level committee led by former president Ram Nath Kovind had also proposed holding the municipality and panchayat polls along with the national and state elections in a phased manner, the Cabinet has decided to stay away, “as of now”, from the manner in which local body elections are conducted.The Constitution amendment bill to hold simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies will not require ratification by at least 50 per cent of the states, the sources noted.Another Constitution bill proposed by the Kovind panel was aimed at creating provisions to hold simultaneous elections to municipalities and panchayats, along with the elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, by inserting a new Article 324A.It would have required ratification by half of the state assemblies.But the Union Cabinet has kept the local body polls out as of now.The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The second bill will be an ordinary one to amend provisions in three laws dealing with Union territories that have legislative assemblies — Puducherry, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir — to align the terms of these Houses with other legislative assemblies and the Lok Sabha as proposed in the Constitution amendment bill.The statutes it proposes to amend are the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act-1991, the Government of Union Territories Act-1963 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act-2019.The proposed bill will be an ordinary legislation not requiring a change in the Constitution and will also not need ratification by the states.The government is keen on holding wider consultations on bills that are likely to be referred to a parliamentary committee.The sources said the government also wants to consult the speakers of various state legislative assemblies through the committee. Meanwhile, Congress on Thursday reiterated its opposition to the idea and accused the government of trying to divert attention from “questions being raised on the electoral integrity of the democratic system.” “The views of the Indian National Congress on this subject had been forcefully articulated by its President Mallikarjun Kharge ji on January 17, 2024. Nothing has happened since then to modify them,” said Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh.Kharge, in a letter to the secretary of the high-level committee on ‘one nation, one election’ on January 17, 2024, had said, “The Indian National Congress is strongly opposed to the very idea of ‘One Nation, One Election’.” “For the sake of maintaining a thriving and a robust democracy, it is it imperative that the entire idea must be abandoned and the High Power Committee dissolved,” he added.Asked about the development, Congress’ deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said that in the past also, his party has raised many questions related to elections, electoral systems and electoral integrity.”Now let this Bill come, let us see what they are trying to do. But we have said in the past also there are many concerns among the INDIA bloc about the impact on the federal character of our country through this Bill,” Gogoi told PTI.”PM Modi has not walked the talk, he talks of ‘one nation, one election’ and yet when it suits him… he does Haryana and Maharashtra elections separately. He does Gujarat elections separately. He does not even hold polls in states in one phase, he does it in five phases when it suits him,” he said.Gogoi said the people of India are very wise and understand there are much larger questions that need to be raised with respect to the entire electoral process such as the role of election commissioners and their appointment.”I think they are only trying to divert from the questions that are being raised in people’s mind with respect to the electoral integrity of our democratic system,” he added.On the other hand, Union minister and BJP ally Chirag Paswan came out strongly in support of “one nation, one election”, saying it is in national interest as simultaneous polls will boost development.Moving ahead with its “one nation, one election” plan, the government in September accepted the recommendations of the high-level committee for holding simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies in a phased manner.In its report submitted to the government in March, just before the general election was announced, the panel recommended implementing “one nation, one election” in two phases.The government is of the view that simultaneous polls will reduce expenditure in the long run and different parts of the country will not be under the Model Code of Conduct throughout the year due to various polls.Simultaneous polls were held in the country between 1951 and 1967.The concept of simultaneous elections has featured in many reports and studies since 1983, essentially implying a return to the previous practice of conducting polls concurrently.
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