The Modi government advanced its plan to implement simultaneous national and state elections by 2034. All state assemblies elected after 2029 are expected to serve shortened terms to align with the general elections, a Times of India report said.

The government laid the groundwork through the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024. The bill sought to enable the “One Nation, One Election” system, the report added. PP Choudhary, chairman of the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) overseeing the bill, said that state assemblies elected after 2029 — such as Uttar Pradesh’s in 2032 — might serve shorter terms, potentially as brief as two years, to ensure synchronisation with the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for 2034.

The bill empowered the President to issue a notification after the first sitting of the Lok Sabha following the 2029 general elections. This notification would mark the starting point for the new synchronised electoral cycle. Assemblies elected after this notification would have terms ending concurrently with the Lok Sabha's term. If either the Lok Sabha or a state assembly dissolved early, fresh elections would be held only for the remainder of the five-year term. This would preserve alignment.

In states where elections were due before the 2034 target, polls would still be conducted. These polls would cover only the remaining duration needed to bring those assemblies in sync with the national election timeline. An exception clause existed. If the Election Commission determined that a simultaneous election was not feasible in a particular state, it could recommend to the President that polls be held separately.

Choudhary, a BJP MP from Pali, Rajasthan, also said that the JPC was likely to extend its term. Members had reached consensus to visit more states and Union Territories before finalising recommendations. So far, the committee has conducted visits in Maharashtra and Uttarakhand to gather public and stakeholder feedback.

Both the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill were introduced in Parliament in December 2024. Parliament referred both bills to the JPC for detailed scrutiny. The government sought to streamline the electoral process, reduce logistical burdens, and ensure more consistent governance cycles nationwide.