The concept of One Nation, One Election (ONOE) is a proposal to synchronize the election cycles for the Lok Sabha and all State Legislative Assemblies in India, allowing them to be held either on a single day or within a specific timeframe once every five years. This is a concept and a proposed electoral reform, not a current act or institution. The practice of simultaneous elections was the norm in India from 1951 to 1967, but it was disrupted by the premature dissolution of some state assemblies in 1968 and 1969. The primary problem it aims to solve is the continuous cycle of elections, which proponents argue leads to policy paralysis due to the frequent imposition of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and strains administrative and security resources.
The mechanism for implementation requires significant constitutional and legal changes. Key provisions that would need amendment include Article 83 (duration of Houses of Parliament) and Article 172 (duration of State Legislative Assemblies) to ensure fixed terms. The proposal also connects to the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which would require modifications. To start the cycle, the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2024, proposes that the President may notify an appointed date after a general election. The terms of all State Assemblies constituted after this date would then expire with the end of the Lok Sabha's five-year term. If a legislature is dissolved prematurely, the subsequent election would be for the remainder of the five-year term to maintain synchronization.
The concept has been recently examined by a High-Level Committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, which was formed on September 2, 2023, and submitted its report in March 2024. The committee's recommendations, which included synchronizing Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, were accepted by the Union Cabinet on September 18, 2024. The implementation of the required constitutional amendments would need a two-thirds supermajority in both Houses of Parliament and ratification by at least 50% of the states. The 23rd Law Commission has also shared its view that the proposal does not violate the Constitution's basic structure.