Parliamentary Panel Report on ONOE Issue

May 25, 2026

To ensure the smooth functioning of democracy in

Parliamentary elections and elections for state legislative

assemblies take place at their scheduled times. For

instance, elections for the Punjab Legislative Assembly

are slated for the beginning of next year (2027), while the Lok Sabha

elections are scheduled for 2029. The Government of India maintains

the view that, in the interest of governance, we must save every single

penny. To this end, the government has propounded the concept

of ‘One Nation, One Election.’ This subject has been the topic of

extensive debate within Parliament. The argument advanced in favor

of this concept is that if elections for both the Central government

and the state assemblies are held simultaneously, the administrative

machinery will not have to bear the recurring financial burden of

conducting elections repeatedly. Conversely, arguments raised

in opposition questioned how elections at both the Central and

State levels could be conducted simultaneously across the entire

country, given that the administration is unable to even successfully

conduct a single nationwide examination across the nation. Another

objection raised was that politics has now become a haven for

political turncoats—characterized by the ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram’

(come-and-go) culture—where defectors frequently destabilize state

governments, often necessitating the holding of mid-term elections.

If the ‘One Nation, One Election’ system were to be implemented,

where would the scope for conducting such mid-term elections arise?

Nevertheless, following these debates, a 41-member parliamentary

committee was constituted, with BJP MP P.P. Chaudhary appointed

as its chairperson.It was stated that if simultaneous elections are

to be conducted, two proposed legislative measures—under the

129th Constitutional Amendment—would need to be introduced:

one applicable to the general states and the other specifically for

the Union Territories. Prime Minister Modi conveyed the message

that the nation would ultimately reap the benefits of these electoral

reforms. Now, in the report submitted by the Chairman of the

Joint Parliamentary Committee, P.P. Chaudhary, it is asserted that

conducting simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and the State

Legislative Assemblies would result in a national saving of Rs. 7

lakh crore. Consequently, this saving would lead to a 1.6 percent

increase in the country’s GDP. The funds thus saved could be utilized

for infrastructure development, welfare initiatives for the poor,

education, healthcare services, and other developmental projects.

Chief Ministers of various states are meeting with this committee to

present their respective viewpoints. The most recent meeting was

held with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief

Minister Harsh Sanghavi, both of whom expressed their support for

the concept. Subsequently, P.P. Chaudhary briefed journalists on the

key issues discussed during the meeting, noting that certain aspects—

which had not been previously considered—are now coming to light.

A significant point of discussion is how the funds saved through this

process can be effectively utilized for developmental activities; a

comprehensive report is being prepared to address this. He further

stated that the frequent conduct of general and assembly elections

inevitably impacts grassroots-level development. As the committee

continues to meet with Chief Ministers, it is steadily drawing closer

to reaching a final decision. The frequent recurrence of elections

necessitates that ministers and officials engage directly with the

public, a process that inevitably disrupts routine government

work. The committee has also consulted with six former Chief

Justices regarding this matter. They clarified that such elections do

not infringe upon the federal structure, the basic structure of the

Constitution, or fundamental rights, and that the “One Nation, One

Election” framework poses no constitutional impediment. In light

of these preliminary interpretations, it is becoming evident that the

committee is moving closer to a final determination regarding the

“One Nation, One Election” proposal. Regardless of the ultimate

verdict, one fact remains indisputable: the implementation of the

“One Nation, One Election” process has the potential to save the

country a substantial amount of public funds.