New Delhi, Dec 24: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting to discuss the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal will be held on January 8, 2025, as per sources. The discussion is expected to cover various critical aspects of the proposal, which aims to hold simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies across India.
Congress leader Salman Khurshid stated on Tuesday that the implementation of ‘One Nation, One Election’ is a complex issue. He emphasized that all relevant concerns will be addressed during the JPC meeting. “It is not an easy task. When the parliamentary committee sits, all the issues will be placed before it and will be discussed,” Khurshid told ANI.
The proposed initiative has sparked strong opposition from Left parties, who have voiced concerns about its potential impact on India’s federal structure. The Communist Party of India (CPI), CPI(M), CPI(M-L) Liberation, Revolutionary Socialist Party, and All India Forward Bloc jointly issued a statement claiming that the proposal would undermine the rights of state legislatures and be a step towards centralization. “The proposed amendments to the Constitution are a direct assault on the federal structure and the rights of state legislatures,” the Left parties said.
The government’s proposed bills aim to implement simultaneous elections, but critics argue that this could lead to a concentration of power at the Centre, disproportionately benefiting the ruling party and affecting the autonomy of regional parties.
The 31-member JPC, tasked with scrutinizing the bill, includes 21 Lok Sabha members, among them Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Manish Tewari, NCP’s Supriya Sule, TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee, and BJP’s PP Chaudhary, Bansuri Swaraj, and Anurag Singh Thakur. The committee also includes 10 members from the Rajya Sabha.
As the debate continues, the committee’s recommendations on the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal are eagerly awaited, with widespread discussions expected to unfold in the upcoming sessions.
