One Nation, One Election Bill to Be Tabled in Lok Sabha Today

The BJP-led NDA government will table the One Nation, One Election Bill in the Lok Sabha today. According to a government statement, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will introduce two bills in the lower house: The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, also known as the ONOP Bill, and The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill. In light of the ONOP Bill's tabling, the BJP has issued a three-line whip to all its Lok Sabha MPs.

The Congress has also issued a three-line whip to its Lok Sabha MPs, mandating their attendance for today's proceedings. After introducing the bill in Parliament, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is expected to request Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to refer it to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further consultation.

The bill, which also aims to align the elections of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry, and the NCT of Delhi, was cleared by the Cabinet last week. According to its provisions, the process of conducting simultaneous elections is unlikely to take place before 2034.

Key Provisions of the One Nation, One Election Bill
The One Nation, One Election Bill, as per a draft circulated on December 13, proposes that if the Lok Sabha or any state assembly is dissolved before the end of its full term, mid-term elections will be held only to complete the remaining duration of its five-year term.

The bill suggests the addition of Article 82(A) to provide for simultaneous elections to the House of the People and all Legislative Assemblies. It also calls for amendments to Articles 83 (duration of Houses of Parliament), 172, and 327 (Parliament's power to regulate election provisions).

The amendment’s provisions will take effect on an “appointed date,” which the President will announce on the first sitting of the Lok Sabha following a general election.