'One Nation-One Poll' Proposal Referred To Law Commission To Formulate Practicable Road Map: Centre Informs Rajya Sabha

The Ministry of Law and Justice today recently the Rajya Sabha that the proposal for a one-nation-one-election has been referred to the Law Commission for further examination to work out a practicable road map and framework for simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies

This piece of information was provided by the Union Law Minister, Kiren Rijijju in response to a question put up by MP Sushil Kumar Gupta regarding ONE NATION ONE ELECTION.

Essentially, the following four questions were asked by MP Gupta:

(a) whether Government has any thinking about one-nation-one-election and also maintain the democratic freedom;

(b) if so, the views of Government in this regard;

(c) if not, the reasons therefor; and

(d) Government's plan to undertake a study of such election processes prevailing in other countries?

In its response, the Ministry stated thus:

"The Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice had examined the issue of simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies in consultation with various stake-holders including Election Commission of India. The Committee has given certain recommendations in this regard in its 79th Report. The matter now stands referred to the Law Commission for further examination to work out a practicable road map and framework for simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies."

It may be noted that as per a report of The Indian Express, the Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra, in an interview with ANI last month had said the Election Commission is ready to hold simultaneous elections on the lines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for 'One Nation One Election'. He had also backed the idea of One Nation One Poll.

In the year 2018, the Law Commission of India submitted its draft report favoring the holding of simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies. "Time has come for India to revert to simultaneous elections in the greater national interest", the Commission had observed in the draft report.

Click here To Read/Download Union Law Minister's reply