The BJP-led NDA government is set to introduce the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment Bill), 2024, and the Union Territories Law (Amendment) Bill, 2024, in the Lok Sabha this week. These two bills are the first step towards the government’s vision of conducting simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, as part of its ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative.

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• The NDA government plans to introduce two bills in Parliament aimed at implementing ‘One Nation, One Election’.
• The first bill seeks to amend the Constitution to allow simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
• It proposes inserting Article 82A into the Constitution and amending Articles 83, 172, and 327.
• These amendments align with the recommendations of a high-powered panel led by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
• The bills do not require ratification by state assemblies but need a two-thirds majority in Parliament.
• The second bill aims to synchronize elections in Union Territories (UTs) like Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir with national and state elections.
• The Union Territories Law (Amendment) Bill requires a simple majority in Parliament for passage.
• The bills could be referred to a joint parliamentary panel for further review before being passed.
• The ‘One Nation, One Election’ plan seeks to hold general elections and state assembly elections simultaneously to streamline the electoral process.
• The initiative is likely to be implemented after 2034 due to required constitutional and legal changes.