One nation, one election: When were simultaneous polls last conducted in India?

The 'One Nation, One Election' Bill is likely to be tabled in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.

The Union cabinet on Thursday approved the 'One Nation, One Election' Bill. The legislation is likely to be tabled in this Winter session of Parliament, sources told HT.

Voters are standing in the queue to cast their votes in Bihar.(Santosh Kumar/ Hindustan Times)

The people cited above said the bill was likely to be referred to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) for detailed discussions.

The proposal to align elections was a part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s 2024 poll manifesto and has the backing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi but is fiercely opposed by a raft of political parties and activists who allege that it will hurt democratic accountability.

In September, the Union cabinet approved the recommendations of a high-level committee – headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind – on implementing simultaneous polls across India.

The 18,000-page Kovind report had outlined a phased approach to synchronise elections, beginning first with Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, and following up with local body polls within 100 days.

The panel had received responses from 47 political parties, with 32 favouring simultaneous elections. These parties — which include the BJP, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Janata Dal-United (JDU) and the Shiv Sena — said the proposal will save scarce resources, protect social harmony, and stimulate economic development.

Here's a brief history of simultaneous polls in India:

• After becoming a republic in 1950, simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and all state assemblies were conducted every five years from 1951 to 1967.
• Voters in the country cast their votes for both the Centre and the states simultaneously in 1952, 1957, 1962, and 1967.

• However, with the reorganisation of some old states and the emergence of new states, this process was completely discontinued in 1968-69.
• In 1983, the Election Commission, in its annual report, suggested reviving simultaneous polls.
• In 1999, a Law Commission report also referred to the exercise.
• Many countries such as South Africa, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines hold simultaneous elections, according to NDTV.