'One nation One election' bill to be tabled on dec 16

The central government plans to implement simultaneous elections for 543 Lok Sabha seats, 4,120 state assembly seats, and over 30 lakh local body posts. To study this proposal, a high-level committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind was formed in September last year.
The committee included Union Home Minister Amit Shah, senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, former Rajya Sabha Chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Finance Commission Chairman NK Singh, senior lawyer Harish Salve, former Lok Sabha Secretary Subhash K Kashyap, and former Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari.
After extensive studies, the Ram Nath Kovind Committee submitted an 18,000-page report to President Droupadi Murmu in March last year. The report recommended holding Lok Sabha and state assembly elections in a single phase, while local body elections should follow within 100 days. It also proposed a single voter list for all elections. The recommendations were accepted by the central government in September this year.
Subsequently, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the 'One Nation, One Election' Bill. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is expected to introduce the bill in the Lok Sabha on December 16.
Criticism of the proposal has emerged from opposition leaders. Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijay Singh questioned the feasibility of the system, asking, “If a state government is toppled within six months, should the state remain without a government for the next 4.5 years? In today’s political environment, governments rarely last a full term of five years.”
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called the bill an “anti-democratic act” and suggested it be sent to a joint parliamentary committee for detailed consideration.