This article provides an update on the BJP's promise to implement a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttar Pradesh, should they win the 2027 elections. The article also details the progress made towards implementing the UCC in several states across India.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reaffirmed the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) commitment to implement a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttar Pradesh if they secure victory in the 2027 Assembly elections. During a meeting with party colleagues at the BJP’s working committee meeting in Lucknow, Shah stated that 'UCC has already been implemented in many states.' If the BJP forms the government in Uttar Pradesh, they will ensure the implementation of UCC in the state as well.
The proposed UCC aims to establish a common set of laws governing marriage, divorce, succession, and adoption for all citizens. Currently, personal affairs of various religions are based on community-specific laws derived from religious scriptures. Implementing a common civil code has been a long-standing objective of the BJP, with several states governed by the party making significant strides towards its implementation.
The announcement comes after Shah's September statement that governments led by the BJP and its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners in 21 states would introduce the UCC before 2029. However, Opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party has expressed skepticism about the implementation of the UCC.
Uttarakhand became the first state to implement the UCC after independence in January 2025, while Gujarat, Assam, and Madhya Pradesh have passed similar legislation but are yet to receive the president’s assent. Committees have been set up in Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh to draft proposals for the UCC, and Rajasthan has already approved a bill for its introduction.
In April, the Union government introduced the 2026 Constitution 131st Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha to amend the 2023 Women’s Reservation Act and redraw the boundaries of electoral constituencies. The bill required a two-thirds majority of votes in Parliament to pass, which the ruling National Democratic Alliance does not possess. Therefore, it needed the support of Opposition parties to pass the amendment. However, the consideration of the bill was rejected by the Lok Sabha with 298 MPs voting in its favour and 230 against.
Meanwhile, the BJP government in Assam has formed an eight-member committee to frame rules for the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in the state. The state Assembly passed the bill on May 27 and it has since been sent to the Centre for the president’s assent.
Source:
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