New Delhi, December 11(HS): The Lok Sabha on Thursday extended the tenure of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the bills aimed at introducing simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, popularly referred to as the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal.

Committee Chairman P. P. Chaudhary moved the motion seeking an extension for the Joint Committee on the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The House approved the motion through a voice vote, extending the committee’s term up to the first day of the last week of the 2026 Budget session.

Constituted in December 2024, the committee has since met with constitutional experts, economists, and Law Commission Chairman Dinesh Maheshwari, among others.

On Wednesday, Senior Advocate and former Union Minister Kapil Sibal shared his views with the panel, stressing the need to safeguard the rights and autonomy of states during any electoral overhaul.

Speaking to media, Chaudhary said discussions in the meeting had been “good and constructive” and confirmed that the next session of the committee would be held on December 17.

He reiterated the importance of hearing all stakeholders in what he called a “major electoral reform,” noting that the JPC had sought extra time accordingly.

In September, the committee held consultations with leading economists Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Surjit Bhalla, and Arvind Rajgarhia, who presented projections suggesting potential GDP gains of up to 1.6% (around ₹7 lakh crore) if elections were synchronised nationwide.

So far, the JPC has held at least 14 sittings as well as field visits across various states. More expert consultations are scheduled in 2026 before the committee prepares and tables its final report.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar