The Lok Sabha on Tuesday approved the motion to extend the tenure of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on ‘One Nation, One Election’ up to the first day of the last week of the Monsoon Session.
The move came after JPC Chairperson PP Chaudhary sought an extension for the committee on simultaneous polls.
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Mr Chaudhary moved the motion for an extension of time for the presentation of the report on the “One Nation, One Election” Bills (‘Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024’).
Attorney General of India R Venkataramani and Justice DN Patel, former chief justice of Delhi High Court and current Chairperson of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), will make representations before the JPC on Tuesday. Former Solicitor General of India Harish Salve participated in the last meeting of the JPC held on March 18.
The committee’s next sitting is scheduled for April 2, which will feature interactions with two more distinguished personalities. Justice Hemant Gupta, a former judge of the Supreme Court, will share his insights, followed by a discussion with Justice BS Chauhan, former judge of the Supreme Court of India and the Chairman of the 21st Law Commission of India.
Mr Chaudhary had earlier said, “We will bring ‘One Nation, One Election’ for the benefit of the country. The doubts of the members are being cleared through discussions with experts. A portal was to be launched, and its presentation was made.”
After making some corrections, the website for ‘One Nation, One Election’ will be launched, where stakeholders and others can share their opinions clause-wise, he had shared.
The Constitution Amendment Bill on ‘One Nation, One Election’ under review by the JPC proposes aligning the election cycles of the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
The High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections, led by former President Ram Nath Kovind, has laid the groundwork for a transformative shift in India’s electoral process.
Aligning the election cycles of the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies is likely to address long-standing challenges associated with frequent elections, such as governance disruptions and resource wastage.
