India prepares for 'one nation, one election' rollout by 2034: Assemblies to have shorter terms post-2029
The groundwork is being laid through the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, which seeks to enable the 'One Nation, One Election' system, the report added. According to PP Choudhary, chairman of the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) overseeing the bill, state assemblies elected after 2029 — such as Uttar Pradesh's in 2032 — may serve shorter terms, potentially as brief as two years, to ensure synchronisation with the
Lok Sabha
elections scheduled for 2034.
The bill empowers the President to issue a notification after the first sitting of the Lok Sabha following the 2029 general elections, marking the starting point for the new synchronized electoral cycle. Assemblies elected after this notification will have terms ending concurrently with the Lok Sabha's term. If either the Lok Sabha or a state assembly is dissolved early, fresh elections will be held only for the remainder of the five-year term, preserving alignment.
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In states where elections are due before the 2034 target, polls will still be conducted, but only for the remaining duration needed to bring those assemblies in sync with the national election timeline. An exception clause exists: if the Election Commission determines that a simultaneous election isn't feasible in a particular state, it can recommend to the President that polls be held separately.
Choudhary, a BJP MP from Pali, Rajasthan, also noted that the JPC is likely to extend its term, as there is consensus among members to visit more states and Union Territories before finalising recommendations. So far, visits have been conducted in Maharashtra and Uttarakhand to gather public and stakeholder feedback.
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Both the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill were introduced in Parliament in December 2024 and referred to the JPC for detailed scrutiny. The goal is to streamline the electoral process, reduce logistical burdens, and ensure more consistent governance cycles nationwide.
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