New Delhi [India], March 9 (ANI): The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, met on Monday at the Parliament House Annexe (PHA) in New Delhi.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, is linked to the proposed reform popularly known as “One Nation, One Election,” which seeks to synchronise elections for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
After the meeting, JPC Chairman PP Choudhary said that the One Nation One Election is in the national interest, not for any political party.
He added that it would save time by having a single voter list.
Speaking to ANI, Choudhary said, “He said that we have to work in the national interest, rising above party interests… One Nation One Election would facilitate a single voter list, saving a lot of time… Gulam Nabi Azad shared his vast political experience… He cleared all the doubts of the committee members and the conclusion was that One Nation One Election is in the national interest, not in political interest.”
“The environment was collaborative, and everyone agreed to work across party lines. They agreed that One Nation One Election should take place in the national interest,” he said.
On the interaction with civil society, Choudhary said that heads of schools and educational institutions, regardless of their political affiliation, supported One Nation One Election.
He said they urged its implementation to prevent disruption to students, avoid delays in employment, and ensure authorities are available.
“We had an interaction with the heads of various schools and educational institutions. Many of them said that we have no connection with the BJP, some of them belonged to Congress, some to AAP… But all of them believed that One Nation One Election is in the interest of all the students, and they appealed on behalf of the students to implement this to prevent disturbance to students, hindrance of employment, and unavailability of authorities… The tourism economy, especially of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and J&K, is hindered during the election season… The election reform is necessary for a developed India,” Choudhary said.
During the meeting, Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad interacted with the committee.
Azad highlighted several advantages of the ONOE initiative, describing it as a “win-win scenario” for the country. He said it marks a pivotal step toward accelerated national development and robust nation-building.
Azad added that simultaneous elections would conserve significant national time currently lost due to frequent election cycles over five years. He emphasised that with ONOE, leadership could focus their time and energy exclusively on governance and development.
Referring to the historical context, Azad noted that the framers of the Constitution presided over the initial era of simultaneous elections. He assured that implementing ONOE would not adversely affect the democratic essence or federal integrity of the nation.
Azad further observed that the reform could benefit the opposition by promoting localised leadership, with elections led by regional figures on the ground rather than relying heavily on Union Ministers for campaigning. (ANI)