NDA explores holding joint polls in 22 states, UTs in 2029: Report
Of the 22 NDA-ruled states and UTs, 11 are due for elections over the next two years, before the 2029 Lok Sabha polls
- Aug 23, 2026,
- Updated Aug 23, 2026 10:12 AM IST
The NDA is exploring whether simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies can be advanced to 2029 in 22 states and Union Territories where it has a majority, The Indian Express reported on Sunday.
The move would require the early dissolution of Assemblies before the end of their terms, according to the report.
The development comes as the Joint Committee of Parliament examining the One Nation, One Election Bills continues consultations with state governments and other stakeholders.
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Plan To Sync 22 Assemblies
Of the 22 NDA-ruled states and UTs, 11 are due for elections over the next two years, before the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.
Four states — Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh — already hold their Assembly elections alongside the Lok Sabha polls.
The NDA-ruled states due for elections in 2027 and 2028 include Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, and Tripura. Haryana, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra are due for polls in 2029.
According to the report, if the NDA retains its state governments over the next two years, the Assemblies of the 22 states and UTs could be dissolved by January 2029.
Under Article 174(2)(b), the Governor can dissolve a state Assembly, usually on the advice of the state government or when the government no longer commands a majority.
After an Assembly is dissolved, elections have to be held within six months under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
Bills Currently Point To 2034
The Joint Committee was formed in December 2024 to examine the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
The Bills would provide for Assemblies elected after the first sitting of the Lok Sabha following the general elections to have shortened terms, allowing all elections to be synchronised in the next cycle.
Under the current proposals, the earliest simultaneous elections would be held in 2034.
When asked if simultaneous elections could be held earlier, committee chairman P P Chaudhary told IE: "It is for the NDA Chief Ministers to decide. This issue is outside the mandate of the committee."
The committee is expected to submit its report during the winter session this year.
Opposition States Face Different Timelines
Opposition-ruled states due for elections before the 2029 Lok Sabha polls include Punjab in 2027 and Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Mizoram, and Telangana in 2028.
After their next elections, these Assemblies would have three to four years left when the 2029 Lok Sabha elections are held.
At least four BJP chief ministers — from Goa, Uttarakhand, Haryana, and Delhi — have expressed support for simultaneous elections after meeting the parliamentary committee, according to the report.
At a press conference in Bengaluru in May, Chaudhary said "One Nation, One Election" must be implemented and that holding Assembly and Lok Sabha elections together was in the country's best interest.
He clarified that the proposal does not mean voting would take place on a single day. Elections would be held in phases based on the Election Commission's convenience.
Chaudhary said the committee wanted to build consensus around a law that would be acceptable to all and help move the country towards simultaneous elections by 2034.
For example, he said, if a state has an election in 2032, its government's term would end in 2034 to sync with the national schedule. "This will require a change to the Constitution," he said, adding that keeping elections synced in a democracy is a tough task.
To handle the challenge of a government falling before completing its tenure due to a no-confidence motion, the Committee might suggest adopting the German model (where a new leader must be chosen before removing the current one) or the Japanese model (where the leader is elected on the floor of the House).
"The Anti-Defection Law would also need updates to support this. If we successfully manage this shared system, the country will have a stable setup for the next 100 years," Chaudhary said.
The NDA is exploring whether simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies can be advanced to 2029 in 22 states and Union Territories where it has a majority, The Indian Express reported on Sunday.
The move would require the early dissolution of Assemblies before the end of their terms, according to the report.
The development comes as the Joint Committee of Parliament examining the One Nation, One Election Bills continues consultations with state governments and other stakeholders.
Don't Miss: Massive ₹7 lakh crore savings? How 'One Nation, One Election' could reshape India
Plan To Sync 22 Assemblies
Of the 22 NDA-ruled states and UTs, 11 are due for elections over the next two years, before the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.
Four states — Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh — already hold their Assembly elections alongside the Lok Sabha polls.
The NDA-ruled states due for elections in 2027 and 2028 include Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, and Tripura. Haryana, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra are due for polls in 2029.
According to the report, if the NDA retains its state governments over the next two years, the Assemblies of the 22 states and UTs could be dissolved by January 2029.
Under Article 174(2)(b), the Governor can dissolve a state Assembly, usually on the advice of the state government or when the government no longer commands a majority.
After an Assembly is dissolved, elections have to be held within six months under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
Bills Currently Point To 2034
The Joint Committee was formed in December 2024 to examine the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
The Bills would provide for Assemblies elected after the first sitting of the Lok Sabha following the general elections to have shortened terms, allowing all elections to be synchronised in the next cycle.
Under the current proposals, the earliest simultaneous elections would be held in 2034.
When asked if simultaneous elections could be held earlier, committee chairman P P Chaudhary told IE: "It is for the NDA Chief Ministers to decide. This issue is outside the mandate of the committee."
The committee is expected to submit its report during the winter session this year.
Opposition States Face Different Timelines
Opposition-ruled states due for elections before the 2029 Lok Sabha polls include Punjab in 2027 and Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Mizoram, and Telangana in 2028.
After their next elections, these Assemblies would have three to four years left when the 2029 Lok Sabha elections are held.
At least four BJP chief ministers — from Goa, Uttarakhand, Haryana, and Delhi — have expressed support for simultaneous elections after meeting the parliamentary committee, according to the report.
At a press conference in Bengaluru in May, Chaudhary said "One Nation, One Election" must be implemented and that holding Assembly and Lok Sabha elections together was in the country's best interest.
He clarified that the proposal does not mean voting would take place on a single day. Elections would be held in phases based on the Election Commission's convenience.
Chaudhary said the committee wanted to build consensus around a law that would be acceptable to all and help move the country towards simultaneous elections by 2034.
For example, he said, if a state has an election in 2032, its government's term would end in 2034 to sync with the national schedule. "This will require a change to the Constitution," he said, adding that keeping elections synced in a democracy is a tough task.
To handle the challenge of a government falling before completing its tenure due to a no-confidence motion, the Committee might suggest adopting the German model (where a new leader must be chosen before removing the current one) or the Japanese model (where the leader is elected on the floor of the House).
"The Anti-Defection Law would also need updates to support this. If we successfully manage this shared system, the country will have a stable setup for the next 100 years," Chaudhary said.