New Delhi: The central government does not plan to bring the One Nation, One Election Bill during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, sources said
on Friday.
The session will begin on July 20 and continue until August 13. The development comes after several opposition MPs joined the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance.
Sources told India TV that the government has not yet made its position clear on introducing legislation related to delimitation and women’s reservation during the session.
However, the government reportedly believes that several opposition MPs may support the two proposals. Such support could leave the Congress relatively isolated in Parliament.
Ordinances take priority
According to the sources, the government’s main priority is to secure parliamentary approval for pending ordinances.
These include the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026. The proposed legislation seeks to increase the sanctioned maximum strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India.
The government is expected to focus on completing this legislative work before taking up more politically sensitive proposals.
ONOE Bill on hold
The government introduced the One Nation, One Election Bill during the Winter Session last year. Parliament later referred it to a Joint Parliamentary Committee headed by BJP MP P P Chaudhary. The committee’s tenure has been extended until August 10.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly supported simultaneous elections. He has argued that holding Lok Sabha and Assembly elections together would save time and public resources.
Opposition parties have accused the government of rushing the legislation without building political agreement.
“Without the opposition’s support, how can they bring out the bill? They have to discuss it with the Opposition. Let us have an idea about what they are going to bring, and then we will tell,” Congress MP K C Venugopal said on Thursday.
Delimitation dispute continues
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, linked to women’s reservation, failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha during the previous session.
The bill received 298 votes in support, while 230 MPs opposed it.
Opposition parties have said they support women’s reservation but have raised objections over its connection with delimitation. They fear that southern states could lose representation in Parliament under a new seat distribution formula.
The government has defended the delimitation exercise and repeatedly assured southern states that their parliamentary representation will not decline.
