Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans to implement a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and the ?One Nation, One Election? policy within the next five years if the party returns to power. Shah made these remarks in an interview with the news agency PTI.

Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Shah emphasized the importance of the UCC, stating, ?The UCC is a responsibility left to us, our Parliament, and the state legislatures of our country since independence by the makers of our Constitution.? He highlighted that the guiding principles set by the Constituent Assembly included the Uniform Civil Code, as envisioned by legal scholars like KM Munshi, Rajendra Babu, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

He noted the BJP's experiment in Uttarakhand, where the party holds a majority, as a step towards this goal. ?I believe that the Uniform Civil Code is a huge social, legal, and religious reform. The law made by the Uttarakhand government should undergo social and legal scrutiny. Religious leaders should also be consulted,? Shah said. He called for extensive debate and judicial review before the law is enacted nationwide, ensuring that it aligns with the secular principles of the Constitution.

One Nation, One Election In addition to the UCC, Shah discussed the possibility of synchronizing elections across the country. He proposed the idea of holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies to streamline the electoral process. ?We can think over it. If we prepone one election, it can be done. It should be done. This is also the time of students? vacation. It creates lots of problems too. Over time, the election (Lok Sabha) gradually moved to this period (during summer),? he explained.

Shah argued that holding elections simultaneously would reduce disruptions and costs associated with frequent polls. He suggested that with proper planning and adjustments, the move to simultaneous elections could be achieved, benefiting the overall governance and administrative efficiency.