‘One Nation, One Election’: JPC unlikely to submit report on simultaneous polls during Monsoon Session

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the proposed “One Nation, One Election” Bills is unlikely to submit its report during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, sources say. The committee, headed by BJP MP P. P. Chaudhary, is scrutinising the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and related legislations which seek to synchronise elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.

According to the schedule, the JPC was expected to finalise and adopt its report at its July 17 meeting before submitting it to Parliament for further consideration. The proposed framework is intended to facilitate the implementation of simultaneous elections from the 2029 general elections, subject to Parliamentary approval.

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According to sources, the committee is in the midst of an extensive multi-state outreach exercise and requires additional time to examine the constitutional, legal and procedural issues involved in implementing simultaneous elections. “The committee has completed consultations in several states but more work and interactions are necessary before finalising recommendations. The panel is addressing complex issues related to synchronising electoral cycles, including provisions governing governments that lose their majority with less than a year remaining in their tenure,” they said

A key area of examination is ensuring that the proposed framework conforms to India’s federal structure and does not violate the Constitution’s basic structure.

Opposition parties have objected, saying that the proposed framework could undermine India’s federal structure by allowing national issues to overshadow state-specific mandates and weakening the autonomy of state legislatures. They say such far-reaching electoral reforms require broad political consensus and extensive consultation with states and safeguards to protect the powers of state legislatures.

They have also questioned the constitutional validity of curtailing or extending the tenure of elected Assemblies to synchronise election cycles and demanded clarity on the mechanism for dealing with hung Assemblies, mid-term collapses of governments, no-confidence motions and President’s Rule.

However, those in the know of the Committee’s consultations say the majority of civil society representatives and legal experts consulted so far have supported the proposal. “But the panel is working on evolving a mechanism that addresses concerns raised by Opposition parties, particularly on issues relating to federalism and state autonomy, before finalising its recommendations,” they add.

Recently, the JPC Chairman also highlighted the proposal’s economic rationale. Frequent elections, he said, keep the country in a near-permanent election mode, disrupting governance, tourism and industrial activity. Referring to expert assessments, Chaudhary said synchronising election cycles could help avoid economic losses estimated at nearly Rs 7 lakh crore, allowing greater investment in infrastructure and welfare programmes.