New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday approved an extension to the tenure of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) tasked with scrutinising Bills aimed at implementing simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
The decision allows the panel more time to finalise its recommendations amid ongoing deliberations on this major electoral reform proposal, commonly referred to as ‘One Nation, One Election’.
PP Chaudhary, the BJP MP chairing the 39-member JPC, moved a motion in the Lower House seeking to extend the committee’s term until the first day of the last week of the 2026 Monsoon Session of Parliament. The House adopted the motion through a voice vote without opposition, reflecting broad procedural consensus on granting additional time for thorough examination.
The extension pertains specifically to the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, which proposes amendments to enable synchronised polls, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which addresses related adjustments for Union Territories.
Introduced in December 2024 by Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, these Bills seek to align Lok Sabha and Assembly elections to reduce the frequency of polls, cut electoral expenditure, minimise governance disruptions from the model code of conduct, and enhance administrative efficiency.
Since its formation late last year, the JPC has held multiple meetings, consulting a wide range of stakeholders, including constitutional experts, economists, former election commissioners, representatives from political parties, and the Law Commission.
The panel has received inputs on the feasibility, legal implications, logistical requirements, and potential impact on federalism and democratic processes.
While proponents argue that simultaneous polls would foster policy continuity and national focus, critics have raised concerns over their effects on regional issues, anti-defection laws, premature dissolutions of assemblies, and the need for extensive constitutional changes.
(IANS)
