One Nation, One Election may become operational by 2029, says panel chief
The parliamentary panel examining the 'One Nation, One Election' bills is working on a consensus-based mechanism to implement simultaneous elections by the 2029 general elections, with chairperson saying that nearly 99 per cent of stakeholders consulted so far support the proposal.
The joint committee of Parliament examining the bills on simultaneous elections is working on a mechanism that could make the 'One Nation, One Election' reform operational by the 2029 general elections, its chairperson PP Chaudhary said on Friday.
Chaudhary also said nearly 99 per cent of civil society stakeholders consulted so far have supported the proposal.
Speaking on the sidelines of the panel's two-day meeting in Goa, Chaudhary said the committee was studying different options and trying to build a mechanism acceptable to all political parties.
He said some states could also be brought into alignment before 2029 if political parties and chief ministers voluntarily agree to synchronise their electoral cycles.
The committee began its deliberations in Goa on the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, with an interaction with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and members of his cabinet. It sought their views on the challenges involved in implementing simultaneous elections and ways to address them.
"We had an informal interaction with the chief minister and cabinet ministers, who represent the people of Goa. We discussed how 'One Nation, One Election' can be implemented, what challenges exist and how they can be mitigated while maintaining a fine balance acceptable to all," Chaudhary said.
Chaudhary said the committee has visited Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, where it met constitutional experts, civil society organisations, educationists and other stakeholders.
The BJP MP from Pali in Rajasthan said an overwhelming majority had backed the proposal.
"We have found that almost 99 per cent of stakeholders, particularly from civil society and various organisations, favour simultaneous elections. The effort now is to evolve a mechanism that is acceptable to all political parties," he said.
On the timeline, he said the committee was examining various options and indicated that the reform could become operational by the time the next general elections are due in 2029. He added that there was also a possibility of bringing some states into alignment before that if political parties and chief ministers agreed to do so voluntarily.
Highlighting the economic case for the proposal, Chaudhary referred to findings placed before the high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
He said an economic study submitted to the Kovind committee estimated that holding separate elections across the country leads to an economic loss of nearly Rs 7 lakh crore, while synchronised elections could bring equivalent gains to the national economy.
"Elections are now not confined to one state. If elections are held anywhere in the country, they have an impact on other states because the economy is interconnected," he said.
Using Goa as an example, he said elections in any major state affect tourist arrivals in Goa, while elections in the coastal state itself also affect its tourism industry. "The economy today is globalised. An adverse impact in one state affects other states as well. Frequent elections have economic consequences beyond state boundaries," he said.
Chaudhary also said repeated elections disrupt governance and affect education because teachers are regularly assigned election-related work, including preparing electoral rolls, training and polling duties.
"As a result, teaching in government schools suffers. The worst affected are children from economically weaker sections who depend on government schools. This is a serious concern if the situation continues over the coming decades," he said.
He described simultaneous elections as a "major electoral reform" envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said it would help the country move towards its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
Summing up the committee's work, Chaudhary said, "The details will emerge with time. The objective is to build a broad consensus and evolve a practical mechanism acceptable to all."
The joint committee of Parliament examining the bills on simultaneous elections is working on a mechanism that could make the 'One Nation, One Election' reform operational by the 2029 general elections, its chairperson PP Chaudhary said on Friday.
Chaudhary also said nearly 99 per cent of civil society stakeholders consulted so far have supported the proposal.
Speaking on the sidelines of the panel's two-day meeting in Goa, Chaudhary said the committee was studying different options and trying to build a mechanism acceptable to all political parties.
He said some states could also be brought into alignment before 2029 if political parties and chief ministers voluntarily agree to synchronise their electoral cycles.
The committee began its deliberations in Goa on the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, with an interaction with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and members of his cabinet. It sought their views on the challenges involved in implementing simultaneous elections and ways to address them.
"We had an informal interaction with the chief minister and cabinet ministers, who represent the people of Goa. We discussed how 'One Nation, One Election' can be implemented, what challenges exist and how they can be mitigated while maintaining a fine balance acceptable to all," Chaudhary said.
Chaudhary said the committee has visited Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, where it met constitutional experts, civil society organisations, educationists and other stakeholders.
The BJP MP from Pali in Rajasthan said an overwhelming majority had backed the proposal.
"We have found that almost 99 per cent of stakeholders, particularly from civil society and various organisations, favour simultaneous elections. The effort now is to evolve a mechanism that is acceptable to all political parties," he said.
On the timeline, he said the committee was examining various options and indicated that the reform could become operational by the time the next general elections are due in 2029. He added that there was also a possibility of bringing some states into alignment before that if political parties and chief ministers agreed to do so voluntarily.
Highlighting the economic case for the proposal, Chaudhary referred to findings placed before the high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
He said an economic study submitted to the Kovind committee estimated that holding separate elections across the country leads to an economic loss of nearly Rs 7 lakh crore, while synchronised elections could bring equivalent gains to the national economy.
"Elections are now not confined to one state. If elections are held anywhere in the country, they have an impact on other states because the economy is interconnected," he said.
Using Goa as an example, he said elections in any major state affect tourist arrivals in Goa, while elections in the coastal state itself also affect its tourism industry. "The economy today is globalised. An adverse impact in one state affects other states as well. Frequent elections have economic consequences beyond state boundaries," he said.
Chaudhary also said repeated elections disrupt governance and affect education because teachers are regularly assigned election-related work, including preparing electoral rolls, training and polling duties.
"As a result, teaching in government schools suffers. The worst affected are children from economically weaker sections who depend on government schools. This is a serious concern if the situation continues over the coming decades," he said.
He described simultaneous elections as a "major electoral reform" envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said it would help the country move towards its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
Summing up the committee's work, Chaudhary said, "The details will emerge with time. The objective is to build a broad consensus and evolve a practical mechanism acceptable to all."
