New Delhi, Aug 11: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) reviewing the ambitious ‘One Nation, One Election’ (ONOE) Bill held its sitting on Monday under the chairmanship of BJP MP PP Chaudhary. Several distinguished academics and former lawmakers attended the meeting.
They shared their insights on the proposed simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and state assemblies. Among the expert witnesses were Prof. G. Gopal Reddy, Chairperson of the Governing Body at Miranda House and former UGC member; Prof. Sushma Yadav, former Vice-Chancellor of Central University of Haryana; Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, ex-Rajya Sabha MP and political thinker; Prof. Sheila Rai, General Secretary of the Rashtriya Samaj Vigyan Parishad; and Prof. Nani Gopal Mahanta, Director of the Centre for South East Asia at Gauhati University.
These experts stressed that democracy cannot be reduced to just frequent elections. The current cycle of continuous elections leads to widespread corruption, disrupts governance, and weakens long-term policy implementation, they said.
They went on to say that the Model Code of Conduct, which imposes restrictions on the government once elections are announced, hinders development schemes and administrative continuity.
Over-proliferation of political parties was also highlighted. With over 2,700 registered parties, many lack the capacity or intent to operate effectively. Experts batted for stricter guidelines for party registration. They said that obtaining an Election Commission symbol has become too easy, while managing and sustaining a party is increasingly difficult.
The experts proposed reforms across four additional domains: political party regulation, election campaign transparency, parliamentary and legislative conduct, and women’s representation. Local self-governments have shown encouraging trends in electing women representatives, with many winning even in unreserved constituencies – indicating a promising path for broader gender inclusivity, they underlined.
Creation of “report cards” for candidates, offering voters a performance-based assessment to promote accountability, came as a suggestion. Constituency-specific manifestos and Action Taken Reports from political parties to bridge the gap between promises and delivery were also another suggestion that came from the experts.
They said that the disruption caused by staggered elections to sectors such as education, especially school operations, is worrisome. Experts explained how administrative staff and infrastructure are diverted during elections, negatively affecting classroom learning and public service delivery.
The overarching sentiment among experts was that ONOE, far from undermining federalism, would strengthen democratic institutions by allowing governments to focus on governance rather than constant electoral calculations. PP Chaudhary, speaking after the session, stated that the insights from the experts had been “invaluable,” adding that the reform is “essential for the nation’s development.”
The JPC, formed during the last winter session of Parliament, comprises 31 members – 21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha – drawn from both the ruling alliance and opposition. Members include prominent leaders such as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Supriya Sule, Randeep Surjewala, Sambit Patra, and Anurag Thakur.
Chaudhary announced that the next sitting of the committee is scheduled for August 19, where former Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna will appear to share his legal views on constitutional aspects of the ONOE proposal.
IANS