2034 Is Earliest for Joint Polls Under Existing Bill

PP CHAUDHARY, BJP MP and chairman of the Joint Committee of Parliament on Bills relating to 'One Nation, One Election', has said the earliest that simultaneous elections can be held under the existing Bills is 2034, and the committee may go beyond the draft law to suggest ways to keep polls aligned, including recommending a provision for a constructive or positive vote of no-confidence.

- DAMINI NATH

In an interview, Chaudhary, responding to a question on how long it would take the committee to finalize its recommendations, said members had unanimously decided to visit all states and Union Territories—a process that would take about two to two-and-a-half years. So far, the committee has visited two states: Uttarakhand and Maharashtra.

The Bills were introduced in Lok Sabha in December last year and were almost immediately referred to the Chaudhary-led committee which has been holding consultations with stakeholders for feedback.

Although the draft legislation provides for a one-time measure to bring Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in sync, Chaudhary felt that the committee could make additional recommendations to address how synchronization should be maintained.