Gandhinagar, May 20: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) investigating the feasibility of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal continued its three-day visit to Gujarat on Wednesday. On the second day of the tour, the committee engaged in detailed discussions with leaders from major political parties, current legislators, and senior state officials.
This 39-member committee comprises 27 Lok Sabha MPs and 12 Rajya Sabha MPs, chaired by BJP MP P.P. Chaudhary. The committee’s mandate is to examine the constitutional and administrative aspects of conducting simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
The committee is closely reviewing the proposed Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territory Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024. On the first day of the tour, discussions took place with senior state officials in Gandhinagar’s GIFT City, where the state government provided detailed information about governance structures and electoral preparations.
According to the meeting report, JPC Chairman P.P. Chaudhary praised the presentation as exemplary. He noted that this was the first time the committee received such comprehensive and integrated information. He commended the efforts of the Chief Secretary and senior administrative officials.
Chaudhary indicated that the aspects highlighted in the presentation had never been presented in such detail before. He also mentioned that the Gujarat model would be further refined and shared as a template for similar presentations in other states.
He informed reporters that the discussions aim to gather systematic suggestions from states, political stakeholders, and various entities before preparing final recommendations for Parliament.
Economists have suggested that simultaneous elections could lead to a 1.6% increase in GDP. If elections are held together, the country could save seven lakh crore rupees, which could be utilized for infrastructure, welfare of the poor, education, healthcare, and other public welfare initiatives.
On the second day, the committee invited representatives from all major political parties for discussions. Leaders from the BJP, Congress, and AAP, along with senior state leaders, participated in these discussions.
The AAP delegation included state president Isudan Gadhvi, MLA Gopal Italia, and Chaitar Vasava, among others. The Congress delegation was led by state president Amit Chavda, which included MLA Imran Khedawala and other leaders. Senior officials and legislators represented the ruling BJP.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi, Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary, and several cabinet ministers and legislators also participated in these discussions with the parliamentary panel.
According to party representatives, this session provided political stakeholders an opportunity to present their views directly to the committee. BJP leaders reiterated their support for the proposal, while opposition parties raised concerns regarding constitutional frameworks, federal principles, and electoral fairness.
The ‘One Nation, One Election’ concept aims to synchronize elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, intending to reduce electoral costs and administrative disruptions. The last time elections were held together in India was in 1967, after which the sequence was disrupted due to the premature dissolution of several assemblies and the Lok Sabha.
This proposal is currently undergoing thorough scrutiny following a report from a high-level committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind. This committee had presented its recommendations after extensive consultations and research.
The panel suggested a phased approach for conducting simultaneous elections, including synchronizing electoral cycles and provisions to address mid-term assembly dissolutions. If constitutional changes are completed, this could be implemented by 2029.
The JPC is expected to continue its discussions with stakeholders during the remaining days of its Gujarat visit, after which it will compile the suggestions received for its parliamentary report.
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