‘One nation, one election’ can give India 100-year stable framework says JPC chairman
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and BJP MP PP Chaudhary during an all-party meeting held under the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill 2024 and Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill 2024, highlighting One Nation One Election, in Bengaluru on Saturday. BJP MP Sambit Patra was also present. | Photo Credit: ANI
JPC President PP Chaudhary said on Saturday that it is in the interest of the country to hold the State Assembly and Lok Sabha elections simultaneously.
He expressed these views in the dialogue titled ‘One Nation, One Election’ organized by the Parliamentary Joint Working Committee.
He said that if this common system is successfully implemented, the country will have a stable framework for the next 100 years.
“‘One Nation, One Election’ should be implemented. It is in the interest of the country to hold State Assembly and Lok Sabha elections simultaneously,” he told reporters.
Statement on phased voting within the scope of ‘One Nation, One Election’
He explained that ‘One Nation, One Election’ does not mean that all voting will be held on a single day. Instead, elections will be held in phases if the Election Commission deems it appropriate.
Vision of reform linked to Viksit Bharat
The Lok Sabha member also described it as a major electoral reform that future generations will remember as it will help realize the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’.
KKP’s consultations with political representatives
JPC, including Lok Sabha member Sambit Patra, met representatives of various political parties, including Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar, Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra and former Union Minister Veerappa Moily, earlier in the day.
Concerns about election cycle and governance costs
Noting that elections are currently being held throughout the year in the states and union territories of the country, Chaudhary said this has led to unnecessary spending of taxpayers’ money.
In addition, the Model Code of Conduct often distracts officials from their normal duties. As a result, important social assistance programs for the poor were delayed, causing inconvenience to the public, he added.
Continuous elections also create uncertainty, which may make foreign investors hesitant to invest in India, he said, adding that all of this directly or indirectly affects the economy, general administration, and education.
Press for consensus and synchronized election cycle
Chaudhary said the committee aims to create consensus among its members to propose a strong law to the parliament that will be acceptable to all and beneficial for the country.
He noted that by aligning the remaining state elections, all elections nationwide could be synchronized in a single cycle by 2034.
Constitutional road map and global models
“For example, if a state has elections in 2032, its government’s term will be adjusted to end in 2034 in line with the national programme. This will require a constitutional amendment. Maintaining synchronized elections in a democracy is a challenge,” he said in a statement.
“To address the possibility of a government falling before completing its term due to a no-confidence motion, the committee may recommend adopting the German model (where a new leader is elected before the removal of the current leader) or the Japanese model (where the leader is elected in the Parliament),” he added.
Anti-defection law and long-term stability vision
The Anti-Defection Law would also need to be updated to support this, he further said, adding, “If this shared system is successfully implemented, the country will have a stable framework for the next 100 years.”
Released May 16, 2026
