New Delhi [India], March 8 : The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, will meet on March 9, at the Parliament House Annexe (PHA) in New Delhi.
The committee, chaired by BJP MP PP Choudhary, will hold an interaction with senior political leaders and former chief ministers, including Ghulam Nabi Azad and M Veerappa Moily.
Azad has previously served as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and as a Union Minister, while Moily has held several key positions, including Union Minister, Chairman of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, is linked to the proposed reform popularly known as "One Nation, One Election," which seeks to synchronise elections for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is also part of the broader framework aimed at facilitating the implementation of simultaneous elections across the country.
Earlier in February, the Joint Parliamentary Committee held a meeting on the "One Nation, One Election" proposal at the Parliament House Complex. After the meeting, committee chairman PP Chaudhary said that discussions mainly revolved around the constitutional validity of the proposed reform.
Chaudhary stated that several members had raised concerns regarding the constitutional aspects of the bill. However, he noted that former Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, who also participated in the meeting, had observed that the proposed amendment falls within Parliament's legislative competence.
According to sources, Gavai argued that the proposed legislation does not violate the basic structure of the Constitution, including the federal framework and the democratic system of governance. He also noted that the amendment would only synchronise the timing of elections and would not alter the structure of elections or the rights of voters.