Earlier this year, the government introduced the 129th Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Parliament in furtherance of the recommendations of the High Level Committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind. This underscores the national conversation around ‘One Nation, One Election’ – the concept of synchronising Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections across India, ostensibly aiming to reduce electoral expenditure, minimise governance disruption, and enhance administrative efficiency. In response to this critical and evolving debate, the NUJS Law Review has prepared a report offering a nuanced evaluation of the Amendment Bill and the HLC Report. This builds upon our foundational response paper submitted to the Law Commission of India in 2018. This report intends to offer a comprehensive glance into the normative conduct of simultaneous elections, possible roadblocks and the inherent constitutional tensions in making any amendments to incorporate simultaneity. This publication aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse and provide perspective to understand the multifaceted challenges presented by the prospect of simultaneous elections.
