Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 14: The Union government's proposed implementation of the One Nation, One Election (ONOE) framework from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections could require major changes to the tenure of several state assemblies, including the curtailment of terms in at least 13 states and the dissolution or extension of around 10 assemblies as part of a one-time synchronisation exercise.
The proposal has gained fresh momentum after P P Chaudhary, chairman of the Joint Committee of Parliament examining the ONOE Bills, indicated that the panel was working towards preparing the framework for implementation from 2029.
Chaudhary also said the committee was exploring the possibility of aligning assembly election cycles if political parties and state governments voluntarily agreed to synchronise their terms.
He claimed that nearly 99 per cent of civil society stakeholders consulted by the committee had supported the proposal, which seeks to reduce the estimated economic burden of frequent elections, pegged at around Rs 7 lakh crore.
According to sources, the parliamentary panel is examining various options to implement simultaneous elections from 2029, and BJP-ruled states may agree to align their electoral cycles.
If the proposal is implemented, the most significant impact would be on states scheduled to hold assembly elections in 2028. Assemblies elected in those elections would ordinarily continue until 2033 but could instead have their tenure reduced to less than a year or be dissolved early, while some may have their terms extended to coincide with the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
The states likely to be affected include Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura and Mizoram, where assembly elections are due in 2028.
Assemblies elected in 2027, including those in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur, could also see their five-year terms shortened by about two years under the proposed synchronisation.
Similarly, governments elected in 2026 in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry may complete only around three years in office before fresh elections are held in 2029.
If the ONOE plan is implemented, the terms of the Delhi and Bihar assemblies would also be reduced by approximately one year.
States where assembly elections are already scheduled close to the 2029 general election—including Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir—are unlikely to require any adjustment.
The proposal is part of the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, which is currently under examination by the Joint Parliamentary Committee.
In September 2024, the Union Cabinet approved the report of the high-level committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, which recommended simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, state legislative assemblies and local bodies.
Among the committee's key recommendations is a constitutional amendment to modify Articles 83 and 172, relating to the tenure of the Lok Sabha and state legislatures, along with the insertion of a new Article 82A to facilitate synchronised elections.
According to the proposal, amendments to Articles 83 and 172, along with the insertion of Article 82A, would not require ratification by the states.