New Delhi [India], April 21 (ANI): The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on ‘One Nation, One Election’ will hold a meeting on April 22 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
In the first session, there will be an interaction with Justice Hemant Gupta, former judge of the Supreme Court. This will be followed by a session with Justice SN Jha, former Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. The next session will include Dr Justice BS Chauhan, former Supreme Court judge and Chairman of the 21st Law Commission of India. The final session will be with Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Rajya Sabha Member and Senior Advocate.
Earlier, speaking about the upcoming launch of the website for the JPC on ‘One Nation, One Election’, the Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), PP Chaudhary, told ANI: “The committee took decisions on two major things — the advertisement will be printed in all languages so that all stakeholders can give their opinions… Secondly, the website will facilitate inputs from all stakeholders… This is being examined by the Secretary General… The development of technology is taking time to ensure the website doesn’t crash… The website will be launched soon with a QR code facility. Suggestions will be collected, and Parliamentarians will review them…”
Talking about the JPC’s state tour, he said, “The committee believes that it should visit all states and hear their opinions, which is why the tour is being organised. Maharashtra will be covered first, then Uttarakhand in May. Jammu and Kashmir, as well as Chandigarh (encompassing Punjab and Haryana), will be covered in June, categorised according to different areas…”
Chaudhary also told ANI, “Elections happen every 5-6 months somewhere in the country… The MPs and MLAs remain in election mode around the year… The work that needs to happen quickly in the nation doesn’t happen that fast. If the ‘One Nation, One Election’ cycle is maintained, Viksit Bharat can be achieved much earlier than 2047… However, the Union government now believes that the elections for Panchayats, Municipalities, and local self-governments must be held within 100 days of the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections.”
On March 25, the JPC held an important meeting that lasted over five hours. BJP MP and JPC Chairperson PP Chaudhary said that during this meeting, former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court DN Patel presented his views, followed by an interactive session with the members. In the second session, Attorney General of India R. Venkataramani interacted with the committee and shared key inputs.
Chaudhary had said that the ‘One Nation, One Election’ idea is in the best interest of the nation.
According to highly placed sources in the JPC and ONOE committee, former Delhi High Court Justice D.N. Patel stated that the proposal would help reduce election costs, improve governance, and simplify the election cycle. He also noted that challenges like arranging EVMs, ensuring security, and staffing must be considered. He said, “One Nation One Election is a desirable subject, subject to amendments and precautions. It would not disrupt the basic structure of the Constitution. The federal structure of the Constitution would also remain intact.”
Sources added that Attorney General R. Venkataramani said the proposed amendments would lead to financial benefits and better governance. He said the amendments would not go against constitutional principles like democracy or public participation. He said, “It is not opposed to the principle of federalism as enshrined in the Constitution of India. The introduction of this constitutional amendment would not violate the basic structure doctrine. The powers of the Election Commission as envisaged under the proposed constitutional amendments need to be more clearly delineated. It would also enhance greater accountability in governance.”
He also said he did not support the idea of a clear distinction between significant and minor curtailment of state assembly terms, as some other experts had proposed.
Several MPs in the committee raised concerns about the practicality of holding Lok Sabha and state elections together. They asked how both national and regional issues, often different, would be addressed in a single election. They also wanted clarity on how regional parties and their concerns would be included while maintaining democratic values. (ANI)
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