'One Nation, One Election' possible if Constitution amended, states agree

Holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies in 2029 under the Modi government's 'One Nation, One Election' initiative is possible if the Constitution is amended and state governments support the move, according to PP Chaudhary, the chairman of the joint parliamentary panel examining the related bills.

The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which aim to synchronise Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, were sent to the 31-member joint committee of Parliament headed by Chaudhary, a BJP MP from Rajasthan, following the Opposition's demand for broader scrutiny.

When asked if state assembly elections could be held alongside the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, Chaudhary said on Monday that if the constitutional amendment is approved in Parliament by 2028, the rollout of 'One Nation, One Election' can begin that same year.

"Then what is the problem.

If the states express their desire in 2029, because we can't give