One Nation, One Election: Two amendments will have to be made in the Constitution, will the Modi government be able to do this?

New Delhi: The Modi government has taken steps to fulfill its promise of ‘one country, one election’ by 2029. For this, the recommendations of a high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind have been accepted. But the question is whether it will be implemented so easily. To implement this plan, an amendment will be required in the Constitution, which will require the support of opposition parties. In the third term of the Modi government, the BJP does not have a majority alone. There is an NDA government. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also understands this. Three ministers have been put on the job to coordinate with different political parties. According to sources, amendments can be introduced in the winter session of Parliament. Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday reiterated the government’s intention to implement this move in the current term of the Modi government, but few people expected that the government would move so fast in this matter. That too when it does not have enough majority in Parliament.NDA does not have majority and opposition is also ready
The NDA does not have the required majority in Parliament for this change and the stand of the opposition parties is also clear. They have enough strength to thwart this move. The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the proposal of ‘One Nation, One Election’. Along with this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that holding simultaneous elections of Lok Sabha and state assemblies is an imperative, which cannot be postponed indefinitely. Modi wrote on X, this is an important step towards making our democracy more vibrant and participatory. he/she also praised the Kovind Committee.

How will this change be possible
The changes are proposed to be implemented in two stages. The first stage involves holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. This would require an amendment to the Constitution, which would need to be approved by both houses of Parliament with a two-thirds majority. The second stage is holding elections to local bodies within 100 days of the general elections. This would require another constitutional amendment to implement. This would require approval from at least half of the states.

The number game has changed in Modi 3.0
When the committee’s recommendations were tabled, the BJP had an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha. It could have reached the two-thirds majority needed to amend the Constitution. But the math has changed after the Lok Sabha elections. Now Modi will have to rely on allies and others to push the amendments through in the lower house. NDA allies are in agreement with the decision. More importantly, the Samajwadi Party has backed its ally Congress’s blanket rejection of the move, demanding an all-party meeting to build a consensus. The BSP has backed the idea, reversing its earlier opposition. During discussions with the Kovind committee, 32 political parties had supported the plan while 15 opposed it.

Government is expected to get support
The government is expected to get support. After the cabinet meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that the government will hold discussions across the country and among various groups. Our government believes in consensus. There will be high-level consultations. Sources said that in the meeting, the Prime Minister has emphasized the need to spread awareness about its benefits. These benefits include saving the government exchequer, relief from delay in decision-making, reducing election fatigue, better governance and stability and continuity in policies, which is likely to happen by holding simultaneous elections. Sources said that three ministers – Rajnath Singh, Kiren Rijiju and Arjun Ram Meghwal – will hold discussions with political parties to garner support for the scheme.