A joint committee of Parliament examining the bill to hold simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies has been granted a fresh extension till the end of the Winter Session to submit its report.
One Nation One Election: Panel Gets Extension Till End Of Winter Session To Submit Report
The committee has been holding nationwide consultations on the proposed rollout of simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies by 2029
Committee chairman PP Chaudhary moved a resolution on Wednesday seeking to push the submission deadline to the first day of the last week of the Winter Session, PTI reported.
The resolution was passed by voice vote in the Lok Sabha. The Winter Session of Parliament typically begins in the last week of November and wraps up ahead of Christmas.
What The Committee Is Examining
The 41-member panel is scrutinising the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, which seeks to introduce the One Nation One Election framework.
The committee has been holding nationwide consultations on the proposed rollout of simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies by 2029.
Case For Simultaneous Polls
At a press conference in Bengaluru earlier this year, Chaudhary had argued that holding Lok Sabha and state assembly elections together was in the country's best interest.
He clarified that the reform does not mean all voting would happen on a single day, elections would instead be held together in phases, based on the Election Commission's convenience.
He described it as a major reform that future generations would remember, calling it central to realising the vision of a "Viksit Bharat." Chaudhary said that with elections currently held throughout the year across the country's 30 states and Union Territories, the Model Code of Conduct repeatedly pulls officials away from regular duties, delaying welfare schemes for the poor.
The committee is working to build consensus among its members toward a law that is broadly acceptable and beneficial to the country, Chaudhary said. He noted that bringing remaining state elections into sync would shift the country to a fully simultaneous electoral process by 2034.
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