New Delhi, Apr 2 (PTI) The Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the Bills seeking to introduce simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies is likely to visit all states and Union Territories for wider consultations and consensus.
The chairman of the panel, BJP MP P P Chaudhary, on Wednesday said simultaneous elections will help save Rs 7 lakh crore worth of India’s resources, and it was necessary for the growth and all-around development of the country.
“Members feel that the committee should visit each state for wider consultations and consensus. Since we could visit five to six states a year, the process will continue for some time,” he said after a committee meeting here.
Chaudhary said it would be a big reform for the country as it would ensure one voters’ list for all the polls and the government would also perform better.
Since most state elections are held at different times, he said, the governance suffers, the academic time of students gets affected, and the economy suffers a huge dent.
“All these problems will be resolved once simultaneous elections are held,” he said.
Chaudhary said vice-chancellors of several national law universities appeared before the committee on Wednesday, submitted their opinions and replied to the questions of the MPs.
The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to examine the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, was constituted after the two proposed legislations were introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2024.
Since its constitution, the JPC has met constitutional experts, economists and the law commission chairman, among others.
The bills were introduced after a report submitted by a high-level committee on simultaneous elections, headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
The Kovind committee was constituted by the Government of India on September 2, 2023. Its primary objective was to explore the feasibility of conducting simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies.
It solicited extensive public and political feedback and consulted with experts to analyse the potential benefits and challenges associated with this proposed electoral reform.
This report presented a detailed overview of the committee’s findings, its recommendations for constitutional amendments, and the anticipated impact of simultaneous elections on governance, resources, and public sentiment.
Last month, the Lok Sabha extended the tenure of the committee till the Monsoon session. PTI ACB RUK RUK
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