India
oi-Prakash KL
The idea of holding Lok Sabha and Assembly elections together could bring a major change to India’s electoral calendar, but it may also mean that several state governments have to give up a part of their current or future terms.
With the NDA government exploring the possibility of implementing One Nation, One Election (ONOE) along with the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, a number of state Assemblies would have to be brought into the same electoral cycle.
The proposed ‘One Nation, One Election’ (ONOE) system, potentially starting with the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, might require state assemblies to shorten their terms to align with the national electoral cycle, impacting governments elected between 2025 and 2028.
The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 proposes that once the system is brought into effect, the terms of State and Union Territory Assemblies constituted after the appointed date would end along with the term of the Lok Sabha.
However, a 2029 rollout would require a one-time adjustment as state elections are currently spread across different years. Some Assemblies were elected in 2025, others will go to the polls in 2026, 2027 or 2028, while some already vote alongside the Lok Sabha.
If all of them are brought into one cycle in 2029, governments elected shortly before that election would not necessarily complete the usual five-year term.
For example, if an assembly is elected in 2028, it will have to remain in power until 2033 under normal circumstance. If the ONOE comes into effect, it should be dissolved and a new government should be formed in a year.
According to a report in The Indian Express, the government is examining ways to align elections in 22 NDA-ruled states and Union Territories with the 2029 Lok Sabha polls. The proposal being discussed would involve altering the existing electoral cycle rather than waiting for the originally envisaged 2034 alignment.
States scheduled to elect their governments in 2028 would face the sharpest reduction if their next election is brought forward to 2029. These include Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura.
Goa, Gujarat, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are among those whose Assembly terms could be cut by roughly three years if elections are held again in 2029.
Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, which are scheduled for Assembly elections in 2026, would have governments that could remain in office for only around three years. The same issue applies to Puducherry, where the Assembly election is also part of the 2026 electoral cycle.
| State/UT government | Election date | Approx. time in power |
|---|---|---|
| Bihar | Nov 6 & 11, 2025 | ~4 years |
| Delhi (UT) | Feb 5, 2025 | ~4 years |
| Assam | Apr 9, 2026 | ~3 years |
| Kerala | Apr 9, 2026 | ~3 years |
| Puducherry (UT) | Apr 9, 2026 | ~3 years |
| Tamil Nadu | Apr 23, 2026 | ~3 years |
| West Bengal | Apr 23 & 29, 2026 | ~3 years |
| Goa | Feb-Mar 2027* | ~2 years |
| Manipur | Feb-Mar 2027* | ~2 years |
| Punjab | Feb-Mar 2027* | ~2 years |
| Uttarakhand | Feb-Mar 2027* | ~2 years |
| Uttar Pradesh | Feb-Mar 2027* | ~2 years |
| Himachal Pradesh | Nov 2027* | ~2 years |
| Gujarat | Dec 2027* | ~2 years |
| Tripura | Feb 2028* | ~1 year |
| Meghalaya | Feb 2028* | ~1 year |
| Nagaland | Feb 2028* | ~1 year |
| Karnataka | May 2028* | ~1 year |
| Mizoram | Nov 2028* | ~1 year |
| Chhattisgarh | Nov 2028* | ~1 year |
| Madhya Pradesh | Nov 2028* | ~1 year |
| Rajasthan | Nov 2028* | ~1 year |
| Telangana | Nov 2028* | ~1 year |
For these governments, the proposed change would effectively remove roughly two years from a normal five-year term.
The governments elected in Delhi and Bihar in 2025 would also be affected as it this would leave these governments with roughly four years in office before another election.
An important point is that not every state government would necessarily face premature dissolution.
Some states already hold their Assembly elections alongside the Lok Sabha polls. Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim, for example, went to Assembly polls simultaneously with the 2024 general election.
