Cabinet Clears ‘One Nation One Election’ Bill In Big Step Towards Simultaneous Polls

New Delhi: 

The Union Cabinet has cleared two bills required to implement the ‘one nation, one election‘ proposal – which proposes simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections and, at a later stage, municipal polls too – sources told NDTV Thursday afternoon. These bills – which look to amend sections of the Constitution – will likely be introduced in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, sources added.

The bills were cleared at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Among those approved was an amendment to Article 82, which deals with state-wise allocation of Lok Sabha seats, and division of states into territorial constituencies, after each national census.

Two bills will alter the duration and dissolution of the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.

A second amendment relates to linking tenures of the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, while there will also be changes to provisions in three laws, each looking to align the legislative assemblies of three union territories – Puducherry, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir – with those of states and the Lok Sabha.

These are not expected to require ratification by at least 50 per cent of the states, sources said.