Lok Sabha grants extension to panel on ‘One Nation One Election’ till Winter Session
The Lok Sabha adopted a resolution extending the reporting deadline of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the "One Nation, One Election" bills to the first day of the last week of the upcoming Winter Session
The resolution, moved by the Committee's chairman, was passed by voice vote
The JPC has been conducting nationwide consultations on the proposed rollout of simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, State Assemblies, and local bodies, targeted for 2029
This is not the first extension the Committee has received since its constitution, reflecting the scale of consultation required on a constitutional amendment of this nature
Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) — Nature and Procedure
A Joint Parliamentary Committee is an ad hoc committee formed through a motion passed in one House of Parliament and concurred in by the other, set up to examine a specific bill or subject in greater depth than floor debate allows. Unlike Department-Related Standing Committees, which are permanent, a JPC stands dissolved once it submits its report.
Key Details
- The JPC examining the simultaneous elections framework has 39 members: 27 from the Lok Sabha and 12 from the Rajya Sabha, drawn from multiple parties in rough proportion to their strength in each House
- Any extension of a JPC's reporting deadline requires a fresh motion/resolution to be moved and adopted in the House, which is what occurred in this instance
- JPC reports are recommendatory; Parliament is not constitutionally bound to accept them, but a report shapes the version of the bill that is eventually taken up for passage
The extension is a routine but procedurally necessary step allowing the JPC more time to complete consultations before finalising its report on the constitutional amendment bills.
Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024
This is the principal bill under the JPC's examination. It proposes to insert a new Article 82A to enable synchronised terms for the Lok Sabha and all State Legislative Assemblies, along with consequential amendments to Articles 83 (duration of Houses of Parliament) and 172 (duration of State Legislatures). A companion bill, the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, extends the framework to Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, and Puducherry.
Key Details
- Article 82A (proposed) empowers the President to notify an "appointed date," after which all State Assemblies constituted would end their term concurrently with the term of the Lok Sabha, going forward
- The proposal builds on the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind and constituted in September 2023, which recommended a two-phase rollout — Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections held together first, followed by local body elections (Panchayats and Municipalities) within 100 days
- As a bill touching the tenure of state legislatures and the federal election calendar, it requires passage by the special majority prescribed under Article 368, and the question of whether it additionally needs ratification by half the state legislatures (since it affects Article 172, which is listed under the proviso to Article 368) remains a live constitutional debate
The JPC's continuing consultations are aimed at reconciling this proposed synchronisation mechanism with existing provisions on legislature tenure before a final report is tabled, which is why repeated deadline extensions have been necessary.
Federalism Concerns and the Basic Structure Doctrine
Any constitutional change affecting the independent tenure of state legislatures engages the basic structure doctrine, since the Supreme Court has held federalism and free and fair elections to be part of the Constitution's basic structure, beyond the amending power of Parliament under Article 368.
Key Details
- Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973) is the foundational case establishing that Parliament's amending power under Article 368 cannot alter the Constitution's "basic structure," which the Supreme Court has held includes federalism and democracy
- Concerns raised during JPC consultations include what happens on premature dissolution/collapse of a state government mid-term, and the compression of state and local issues into a nationally synchronised election cycle
- The Election Commission's constitutional mandate under Article 324 (superintendence, direction, and control of elections) would operate alongside any new synchronisation framework created by the amendment
The extended timeline gives the JPC additional room to examine how the synchronisation mechanism interacts with basic structure concerns around federalism, before Parliament votes on the amendment.
- Bills under JPC examination: Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024
- New deadline for JPC report: first day of the last week of the Winter Session
- JPC strength: 39 members (27 Lok Sabha + 12 Rajya Sabha)
- High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections: chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, constituted September 2023
- Target year for simultaneous elections rollout: 2029
- Recommended sequencing: Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections together, followed by local body elections within 100 days
- Constitutional articles proposed to be inserted/amended: Article 82A (new); Articles 83, 172, and 327
- Amendment route: special majority under Article 368