New Delhi [India]– The first meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal will be held on Wednesday at 11:00 AM in Delhi, under the chairmanship of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP PP Chaudhary.
Officials from the Ministry of Law and Justice are expected to brief the committee, which is tasked with scrutinizing the proposed legislation for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
The JPC, composed of members from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, includes prominent political figures such as Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Manish Tewari, NCP’s Supriya Sule, TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee, and BJP’s PP Chaudhary, Bansuri Swaraj, and Anurag Singh Thakur.
The bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament, aims to align the electoral cycles of the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The proposal was referred to the JPC for detailed scrutiny and discussions.
Chairperson PP Chaudhary emphasized that implementing simultaneous elections could expedite development projects by reducing the frequency of the Model Code of Conduct, which often slows government activities during election periods. “The elections to Lok Sabha used to be held together…Later, the sequence was disturbed since many governments were dissolved…It has been felt that due to repeated elections, the expenditure increases a lot, and the public is burdened,” Chaudhary explained.
He also stated that achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047 could become more feasible if the proposed electoral reforms are implemented.
However, the proposal has faced opposition from several parties. Critics argue that simultaneous elections could undermine the federal structure, disproportionately benefit the ruling party, and reduce the autonomy of regional parties.
In response, Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal defended the proposal, calling it “practical and important.” He emphasized that the concept of simultaneous elections has been debated for a long time and is not in conflict with the federal structure. “The proposal for simultaneous elections to assemblies and Lok Sabha will be discussed in detail starting this new year,” Meghwal said in an earlier interview.
The JPC’s discussions will play a crucial role in determining the future of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative, which seeks to streamline India’s electoral processes while addressing concerns raised by opposition parties.