"ONOE is in national interest, not in political interest": JPC Chairman PP Choudhary
New Delhi, March 9
The Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the Constitution Bill, 2024, met on Monday at the Parliament House Annexe in New Delhi.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, is linked to the proposed reform popularly known as "One Nation, One Election," which seeks to synchronise elections for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
After the meeting, JPC Chairman PP Choudhary said that the One Nation One Election is in the national interest, not for any political party.
He added that it would save time by having a single voter list.
Speaking to ANI, Choudhary said, "He said that we have to work in the national interest, rising above party interests... One Nation One Election would facilitate a single voter list, saving a lot of time... Gulam Nabi Azad shared his vast political experience... He cleared all the doubts of the committee members and the conclusion was that One Nation One Election is in the national interest, not in political interest."
"The environment was collaborative, and everyone agreed to work across party lines. They agreed that One Nation One Election should take place in the national interest," he said.
On the interaction with civil society, Choudhary said that heads of schools and educational institutions, regardless of their political affiliation, supported One Nation One Election.
He said they urged its implementation to prevent disruption to students, avoid delays in employment, and ensure authorities are available.
"We had an interaction with the heads of various schools and educational institutions. Many of them said that we have no connection with the BJP, some of them belonged to Congress, some to AAP... But all of them believed that One Nation One Election is in the interest of all the students, and they appealed on behalf of the students to implement this to prevent disturbance to students, hindrance of employment, and unavailability of authorities... The tourism economy, especially of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and J&K, is hindered during the election season... The election reform is necessary for a developed India," Choudhary said.
During the meeting, Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad interacted with the committee.
Azad highlighted several advantages of the ONOE initiative, describing it as a "win-win scenario" for the country. He said it marks a pivotal step toward accelerated national development and robust nation-building.
Azad added that simultaneous elections would conserve significant national time currently lost due to frequent election cycles over five years. He emphasised that with ONOE, leadership could focus their time and energy exclusively on governance and development.
Referring to the historical context, Azad noted that the framers of the Constitution presided over the initial era of simultaneous elections. He assured that implementing ONOE would not adversely affect the democratic essence or federal integrity of the nation.
Azad further observed that the reform could benefit the opposition by promoting localised leadership, with elections led by regional figures on the ground rather than relying heavily on Union Ministers for campaigning.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I appreciate that heads of educational institutions from different parties support this. As a parent, I've seen exams get postponed and schools turned into polling booths multiple times a year. It disrupts our children's education. ONOE can bring some much-needed academic consistency.
While the idea of saving resources is good, we must be careful. What about the federal structure? Will the issues of a small state get drowned out in the noise of a national election? The committee must ensure regional voices are not weakened. A respectful criticism.
Ghulam Nabi Azad's point about it being a 'win-win' and helping the opposition by promoting local leadership is interesting. If it reduces the need for national figures to campaign everywhere, maybe we'll get more focused, issue-based politics at the state level. Cautiously optimistic.
The tourism angle is very real! I'm from Himachal and the election season brings everything to a halt for weeks. Hotels suffer, transport is disrupted. If this can streamline that process and give our economy a break, it's worth serious consideration. Jai Hind!
A single voter list is a fantastic by-product of this. So much duplication and error in the current system. If ONOE forces us to clean up our electoral rolls and use technology better, that alone is a huge benefit for our democracy. Good step forward.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.