A proposal to hold simultaneous federal and state elections – the contentious ‘one nation, one election’ proposal – is a long-pending piece of electoral reform and will not damage or tamper with the Constitution, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal told the Lok Sabha Today (Dec 17).
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NEW DELHI: The proposal to implement simultaneous federal and state elections—referred to as the contentious ‘one nation, one election‘ initiative—has reignited a long-standing discussion on electoral reforms.
Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, addressing the Lok Sabha today, assured that the reform would neither damage nor tamper with the Indian Constitution.
“Laws can be brought in for electoral reforms… this bill is aligned with the process of easing the electoral process, which will be synchronised. There will be no damage to the Constitution via this Bill. There will be no tampering with the basic structure of the Constitution,”
-Mr. Meghwal said in defense of the proposal.
In response to concerns regarding federalism, Mr. Meghwal firmly stated,
“We are not tampering with the powers of the states.”
He then proposed that the bill be referred to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) for broader consultation. The composition of the committee, he explained, would be finalized by the end of the day.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as the largest party in Parliament, is expected to lead the committee and hold the majority of seats, with opposition members included in proportion to their party strength.
Opposition Pushback and Criticism
The introduction of the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, which aims to amend the Constitution to facilitate simultaneous central and state elections, was met with fierce resistance from opposition parties. Critics denounced the bill as
“beyond the House’s legislative competence,”
“the path to dictatorship,”
and a direct assault on the federal structure of the Indian republic.
The opposition’s objections intensified in the post-noon session after Mr. Meghwal tabled the bill. Congress MP Manish Tewari, representing Chandigarh, led the charge against the government’s flagship proposal, accusing it of violating constitutional principles.
“Article 1 of the Constitution says ‘… India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States, affirming its federal character’. This bill, which proposes simultaneous polls, directly challenges this framework by imposing uniformity across states,”
-Mr. Tewari argued, marking the first of three objections raised by his party.
He further warned that simultaneous elections could undermine the basic structure of the Constitution and added,
“undermine elected state governments, weaken grassroots democracy, and encroach on local governance.”
Leaders from other opposition parties echoed these concerns. Dharmendra Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Kalyan Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress, and TR Baalu of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) voiced sharp criticisms.
Mr. Yadav warned,
“This is the path to dictatorship,”
while Mr. Banerjee insisted it
“hits the basic structure of the Constitution.”
Mr. Baalu highlighted the financial burden associated with conducting simultaneous elections, pointing to the Election Commission’s expenditure of Rs 10,000 crore on new electronic voting machines (EVMs) every 15 years.
“The government should send this bill to the JPC (joint parliamentary committee),”
-he emphasized.
Federalism and Expenditure Concerns
The proposal also drew ire from the Shiv Sena (UBT), led by former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) headed by Sharad Pawar. Both parties condemned the bill as “an attack on federalism.”
NCP leader Supriya Sule reiterated earlier criticisms, aligning her party’s stance with other opposition voices.
As the debate continues, the ruling government remains committed to advancing its electoral reform agenda.
However, opposition parties insist that such sweeping changes require careful deliberation to safeguard the Constitution’s federal character and democratic ethos.
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