The Joint Committee of Parliament (JPC) will hold its second meeting on the "One Nation One Election" Bill, also known as the "Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024" and the "Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024," on January 31, 2025.
The meeting will be convened at 3 pm in the Main Committee Room at the Parliament Annexe Building in New Delhi.
The first meeting, which took place on January 8, saw a vigorous debate between the ruling and opposition parties over the proposed legislation.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Law and Justice made a detailed presentation, providing an overview of the bill’s historical background and explaining how past reforms, dating back to the 1950s, influenced the development of this new legislation.
The presentation underscored key points, including the reduction of election-related costs and the need for greater governance stability, which the bill aims to achieve.
Following the presentation, Members of Parliament (MPs) from various political parties voiced their concerns. These MPs raised issues that reflect the priorities and agendas of their respective parties.
The JPC, tasked with examining the "One Nation One Election" Bill, includes representatives from several political parties, including Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Manish Tewari, NCP’s Supriya Sule, TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee, and BJP members such as PP Chaudhary, Bansuri Swaraj, and Anurag Singh Thakur. Members from the Rajya Sabha are also part of the committee.
The bills, introduced during the Winter Session of Parliament, propose conducting simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies across the country.
These two bills – the Constitution 129th Amendment Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws Amendment Bill, 2024 – were referred to the JPC for further scrutiny and discussion.
The proposal has stirred opposition from various political groups, with critics arguing that the amendments could disproportionately benefit the ruling party.
They believe this could give the ruling party an unfair advantage in influencing the electoral process at the state level, undermining the autonomy of regional parties.
Additionally, opponents have raised concerns that the proposal for simultaneous elections goes against India’s federal structure, which allows states to have more flexibility in their governance.
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