Lucknow, 15 July (HS): The Joint Parliamentary Committee,

which is holding discussions with representatives of various political parties

and organisations in Uttar Pradesh for 'One Nation-One Election', has received

many important suggestions. Regarding the suggestions received during its

visit, in a press conference in Lucknow on Wednesday, the Chairman of the

Committee, PP Chaudhary, said that the system of holding simultaneous elections

will strengthen democracy and will bring huge benefits to the country's

economy. He said that many committees have already made recommendations on this

subject. He said that if the bill is passed by the Parliament, then from the

year 2029, the assembly elections of many states can be held in a phased manner

along with the Lok Sabha elections.

PP Chaudhary, Chairman of the Parliamentary Joint Committee

on the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territory Laws

(Amendment) Bill, 2024 related to 'One Nation, One Election', said in a press

conference that 'One Nation-One Election' is the visionary thinking of Prime

Minister Narendra Modi and its objective is to make democracy stronger, more

effective and in the national interest. He said that from 1952 to 1967, Lok

Sabha and Assembly elections were held simultaneously, hence this system is not

against the Indian federal structure and this will make the system stronger.

The high-level committee has recommended: Committee Chairman

P.P. Chaudhary explained that during Congress rule in 1968, President's Rule

and the reorganization of some states affected the election calendar. Later,

the extension of the Lok Sabha's term during the Emergency completely changed

this system. The Election Commission in 1983, the 2002 committee, the 2015

Policy Committee, the 2018 Policy Commission, and the 2023 high-level committee

headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind have all recommended holding

simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

Responding to a question, committee chairman P.P. Chaudhary

said, One Nation, One Election is simply a uniform timing of

elections; it will not affect the basic structure of the Constitution. He

stressed that this system will benefit the country's economy by saving approximately

Rs. 7 lakh crore. Frequent elections cause large numbers of workers to return

to their home states, disrupting industry, education, and development.

Positive experiences so far: Committee Chairman Chaudhary,

referring to his committee's visits to various states, stated that the

committee is visiting various states across the country to gather opinions from

all stakeholders. In Uttar Pradesh, many positive suggestions have been

received, and leaders from various political parties, including the ruling and

opposition parties, have met to share their views. Similarly, various

organizations have also offered their suggestions. Overall, the experience so

far has been positive.

He said that if the bill is passed by Parliament, assembly

elections in several states could be held simultaneously with Lok Sabha

elections in a phased manner starting in 2029. Considerations are being made to

implement the proposed system in a phased manner and enhance political

stability. The committee is also considering provisions such as constructive

confidence motions in addition to no-confidence motions to ensure government

stability.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi