Amidst concern voiced by the opposition parties, Indian cabinet today approved two bills including one to amend the Constitution to implement Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project of simultaneous elections to national parliament and state assemblies.

The draft legislations are likely to be introduced in the ongoing winter session of parliament, sources said.

A high-level committee appointed by the Modi government last year had proposed simultaneous elections to parliament and state assemblies in the world's most populous democracy.

Opposition parties today raised concerns over the bills cleared by the cabinet for holding simultaneous elections and said larger consultations are required while ruling BJP-led NDA (National Democratic Alliance) leaders contended the move will reduce the burden on the government exchequer.

The opposition MPs said the idea of having simultaneous elections ran counter to India's federal structure and questioned if India was logistically prepared to hold such an exercise.

Simultaneous elections were the norm of India, but the cycle was disrupted decades ago, resulting in the present system under which state polls are held separately every year.

The votaries of "one-nation-one-poll" argue frequent election campaigns keep politicians away from governance, raise electioneering expenses and also put on hold new policies and programmes from being announced due to an election model code of conduct.

While national elections take place in one go, polls to the 28 state assemblies spread out as they take place when their five-year terms end.

Non-simultaneous elections cause uncertainty and instability, disrupting supply chains, business investments and economic growth, the committee headed by India's former president Ram Nath Kovind said.