Joint parliamentary committee on simultaneous polls begins consultation in Gujarat

Gandhinagar: A joint parliamentary committee (JPC) examining the proposal for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies began its three-day visit to Gujarat on Tuesday to hold discussions with stakeholders and gather views on the issue.

The 41-member parliamentary panel, headed by BJP MP P P Chaudhary, is scrutinising two proposed legislations related to simultaneous elections: The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill.

Addressing reporters at the airport after arriving in Ahmedabad, Chaudhary said the concept of ‘One Nation, One Election’ was in the national interest and had received support from several institutions and committees. The panel will meet various stakeholders at the GIFT City in Gandhinagar.

“The concept of ‘One Nation, One Election’ is in the national interest. The Law Commission of India has also stated that simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies should be held,” Chaudhary said. He added that policy think tank Niti Aayog has also advocated simultaneous polls in its reports.

“In light of all these considerations, it is evident that holding simultaneous elections is absolutely essential for the nation’s welfare,” he said, adding that PM Modi had initiated this electoral reform process when the union govt constituted a committee under former President Ram Nath Kovind to examine the issue.

Chaudhary said that according to recommendations of the Kovind-headed committee, elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies should be held together, while elections to panchayats and municipalities should be completed within 100 days of the parliamentary and assembly polls.

He added that the committee was travelling across the country to interact with stakeholders and build a broad consensus before submitting its recommendations to parliament. The panel has already visited Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Karnataka before arriving in Gujarat.

“Our endeavour is to listen to everyone and take all viewpoints into account. When we submit our recommendations to parliament, our primary objective will be to ensure that a broad consensus has emerged among all stakeholders,” Chaudhary added.