Tue Feb 25 08:21:11 UTC 2025: ## Experts Divided on “One Nation, One Election” as Parliamentary Committee Begins Consultations

**New Delhi, February 25, 2025** – The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the government’s “one nation, one election” (ONOE) bills held its third meeting today, hearing from a range of experts with sharply contrasting views. Former Chief Justice of India U.U. Lalit and former Law Commission chairperson Ritu Raj Awasthi presented arguments in favor of the proposed reform, highlighting potential cost savings and developmental benefits. This echoes the recommendations of the high-level Kovind committee, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, whose report strongly supported ONOE.

However, the proposal faced significant opposition. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra voiced concerns that ONOE would undermine democracy by altering legislative tenures and infringing on citizens’ rights. A BJP ally also questioned the potential impact on elected officials’ accountability if elections were held only every five years.

The meeting, which included testimony from IAS officer Niten Chandra (secretary of the Kovind committee) and senior advocate E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan (who headed a 2015 parliamentary committee favoring simultaneous polls), underscored the deep divisions surrounding the proposed constitutional amendment. The JPC, chaired by BJP MP P.P. Chaudhary, will continue consulting with stakeholders and experts to assess the far-reaching implications of ONOE.

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