The joint committee of Parliament examining bills related to simultaneous elections is working on a mechanism that could make the ‘One Nation, One Election’ reform operational by the 2029 general elections, panel chairperson PP Chaudhary said on Friday.

Chaudhary said the committee was studying different options and seeking to build a mechanism acceptable to all political parties. He also claimed that nearly 99 per cent of civil society stakeholders and organisations consulted by the panel so far had supported simultaneous elections.

Panel Examines Options To Implement Simultaneous Polls By 2029

Speaking on the sidelines of the parliamentary panel’s two-day meeting in Goa, Chaudhary said the committee was exploring different mechanisms to implement simultaneous elections.

He said the objective was to develop a framework that maintained a balance between different concerns and was acceptable to political parties.

On the possible timeline for implementation, Chaudhary indicated that simultaneous elections could become operational by the time the next general elections are scheduled in 2029.

He also said some states could be brought into alignment before 2029 if political parties and chief ministers voluntarily agreed to synchronise their electoral cycles.

Parliamentary Panel Holds Discussions With Goa Government

The committee began deliberations in Goa on the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, with an interaction with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and members of his cabinet.

The panel sought their views on the challenges involved in implementing simultaneous elections and possible measures to address them.

“We had an informal interaction with the chief minister and cabinet ministers, who represent the people of Goa. We discussed how ‘One Nation, One Election’ can be implemented, what challenges exist and how they can be mitigated while maintaining a fine balance acceptable to all,” Chaudhary said.

The committee has also visited Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi to consult stakeholders.

During these visits, the panel met constitutional experts, civil society organisations, educationists and other groups to gather views on the proposed electoral reform.

Chaudhary Says 99 Per Cent Stakeholders Support Proposal

Chaudhary, a BJP MP from Pali in Rajasthan, said an overwhelming majority of civil society stakeholders consulted by the committee had supported simultaneous elections.

“We have found that almost 99 per cent of stakeholders, particularly from civil society and various organisations, favour simultaneous elections. The effort now is to evolve a mechanism that is acceptable to all political parties,” he said.

Chaudhary said the committee’s focus was on building broad consensus and developing a practical mechanism for implementing the reform.

Separate Elections Cause Rs 7 Lakh Crore Economic Loss: Chaudhary

Highlighting the economic case for simultaneous elections, Chaudhary referred to findings submitted to the high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind.

He said an economic study presented to the Kovind committee estimated that holding separate elections across the country results in an economic loss of nearly Rs 7 lakh crore.

According to Chaudhary, the study suggested that synchronised elections could bring equivalent gains to the national economy.

“Elections are now not confined to one state. If elections are held anywhere in the country, they have an impact on other states because the economy is interconnected,” he said.

Using Goa as an example, Chaudhary said elections in major states could affect tourist arrivals in the coastal state, while elections held in Goa also had an impact on its tourism industry.

“The economy today is globalised. An adverse impact in one state affects other states as well. Frequent elections have economic consequences beyond state boundaries,” he said.

Frequent Elections Disrupt Governance And Education

Chaudhary said repeated elections disrupted governance and affected education because teachers were regularly assigned election-related duties.

Teachers are involved in activities including preparing electoral rolls, undergoing training and performing polling duties, he said.

“As a result, teaching in government schools suffers. The worst affected are children from economically weaker sections who depend on government schools. This is a serious concern if the situation continues over the coming decades,” Chaudhary said.

He described simultaneous elections as a “major electoral reform” envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said the proposal could help India move towards its goal of becoming a developed country by 2047.

“The details will emerge with time. The objective is to build a broad consensus and evolve a practical mechanism acceptable to all,” Chaudhary said.

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