One Nation, One Election May Be Ready by 2029, JPC Chair Says
Panaji: The head of Parliament’s joint committee examining bills on simultaneous elections is working to create a mechanism that can make the ‘One Nation, One Election’ reform fully operational by the 2029 general elections, the chairman said on Friday.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the panel’s two-day meeting in Goa, PP Chaudhary claimed that nearly 99 per cent of civil society stakeholders consulted so far have supported the proposal, which aims to reduce the economic loss of an estimated Rs 7 lakh crore arising from frequent surveys.
The committee began its deliberations on the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 in Goa by interacting with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and members of his cabinet and sought their views on the challenges in implementing simultaneous elections and ways to resolve them.
“We had an informal interaction with the prime minister and cabinet ministers representing 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 an acceptable balance for all,” Chaudhary said. he said.
He said the committee visited many states, including Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, where it interacted with constitutional experts, non-governmental organisations, educationists and other stakeholders.
The overwhelming majority of those consulted supported the idea of simultaneous elections, said the BJP MP from Pali in Rajasthan.
“We found that almost 99 percent of stakeholders, especially civil society and various organizations, are in favor of simultaneous elections. Now we are trying to develop a mechanism acceptable to all political parties,” he said.
When asked about the timeline for implementation, he said the committee was examining various options and the reform could become operational by the next general elections in 2029.
He also said there was a possibility of aligning some states before that if political parties and chief ministers agreed to voluntarily synchronize election cycles.
Underlining the economic logic behind the proposal, Chaudhary referred to the findings submitted before the high-level committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
He said an economic study submitted to the Kovind committee estimated that holding separate elections across the country would lead to economic losses of around Rs 7 lakh crore, while synchronized elections could generate equivalent gains for the national economy.
“Elections are no longer limited to a single state. If elections are held anywhere in the country, it will affect other states as the economy is interconnected,” Chaudhary said. he said.
Using Goa as an example, he said elections in any major state affects tourist arrivals in Goa, while elections in the coastal state affects the tourism industry.
“Nowadays, the economy has become globalized. Negative impact in one state affects other states. Frequent elections have economic consequences beyond state borders,” he said.
The BJP MP also argued that repeated elections distort governance and negatively impact education as teachers are routinely deployed for election-related tasks, including preparation of electoral rolls, training and polling exercises.
“As a result, education in public schools is suffering. The worst affected are children from economically weaker sections who are dependent on public schools. If the situation continues in the coming decades, this is a cause for serious concern,” he said.
Describing the simultaneous elections as a “major electoral reform” envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chaudhary said it would help the country achieve its target of becoming a developed country by 2047.
“Details will emerge over time. The aim is to create a broad consensus and develop a practical mechanism acceptable to all,” Choudhari said. he said.
