After Waqf Bill, 'One Nation One Election' next on NDA's to-do list? Amit Shah says, 'In 2-3 yrs...'

After the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 has come into force, 'One Nation, One Election' (ONOE) seems to be on top of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government's checklist. 

While commenting on the ongoing debate around ONOE, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in the coming 2-3 years, no party would be able to oppose it since it is in the interest of the people. He said that the government has went to the public with the issue and campaigned for it through programmes. 

“We have gone to the public with the issue of ‘One Nation, One Election’. We are also going among the public through programmes. In two-three years, the atmosphere will be such that no party will be able to oppose ‘One Nation, One Election’, because this is for the good of the country," he said at News18's Rising Bharat Summit. 

Furthermore, he questioned the Congress that if they believe the ONOE is "unconstitutional" then how were India's first 3 general elections conducted. He even accused the grand old party of dissolving state assemblies and conducting elections to grab power. 

"To get the power, the Congress had dissolved 7 state assemblies and conducted elections simultaneously. The same Congress Party is now saying that it is against democracy." 

Meanwhile, former Union Minister Prakash Javadekar also shared his two cents on why ONOE is a "game-changer for India's progress" in a post on X (formerly Twitter). 

The One Nation One Election Bill aims to introduce Article 82A for simultaneous elections of the Lok Sabha and all state assemblies. It also suggests amendments to Article 83 on Parliament’s duration, Article 172 regarding state legislature tenure, and Article 327, which grants Parliament authority over election provisions.

The first meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on One Nation, One Election took place in January 2025. This committee has been tasked with reviewing two significant legislative proposals: the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

These bills are designed to synchronize elections across both national and state levels. The establishment of the JPC was announced during the previous winter session of Parliament, reflecting the government's commitment to progressing with the bills.

The government has indicated its intention to present the bills that could lead to the passage of ONOE for parliamentary scrutiny following their introduction in the Lok Sabha. The bill will be implemented in 2 stages -- first for the Lok Sabha and assembly polls and the second for local body elections within 100 days of general elections.