The joint parliamentary committee (JPC) on One Nation, One Election (ONOE) is scheduled to meet with legal experts, including Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi, on April 22, as it prepares to finalize its report on simultaneous elections. The committee, led by BJP parliamentarian PP Chaudhary, will examine the proposed bills related to simultaneous polls, which are set to be debated in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament in July.
Abhishek Singhvi, a prominent opposition leader, has been invited to present his views as an expert on the bills, which include the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill. His deposition is expected to strengthen the opposition’s stance, as Abhishek Singhvi has publicly expressed concerns about the legislation. His participation will also serve to demonstrate that the committee has considered a broad range of opinions while drafting its report.
In addition to Abhishek Singhvi, the JPC has called on several esteemed legal experts, including former Supreme Court judge Hemant Gupta, former Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court SN Jha, and former Supreme Court judge and Chairman of the 21st Law Commission Justice BS Chauhan. These experts will provide critical insights into the constitutionality and implications of the proposed reforms.
The committee’s task is to assess whether the bills related to simultaneous elections are sufficiently robust or require amendments. The discussions surrounding the bills have been contentious, with some experts voicing concerns over the excessive powers granted to the Election Commission (EC). Former Chief Justices UU Lalit and Ranjan Gogoi, as well as senior advocate Harish Salve, have raised alarms about the potential for the EC to gain disproportionate authority. Their main concern is that the bill could grant the EC the power to decide when elections can be held and, in some cases, even suggest the imposition of President’s rule in the absence of elections.
Abhishek Singhvi, for his part, has emphasized that the bill should be ratified by the states, given its impact on their assembly terms. He has argued that altering the state election cycle would require approval from the states under Article 368 of the Constitution, a stance that has become a key point of contention in the ongoing debate.
As the JPC prepares its final report, the government is eager to push the bills through Parliament, making the upcoming discussions crucial to the future of ONOE in India. The report, expected to be submitted in the monsoon session, will set the stage for the next steps in the legislative process.
