Constitutional Review: Experts Weigh In on 'One Nation, One Election' Bill

The Joint Parliamentary Committee is conducting reviews of the 129th Amendment Bill and the Union Territories Laws Amendment Bill, 2024. Esteemed experts, including former Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Attorney General R. Venkataramani, are engaging with the committee to discuss the potential constitutional impacts and modifications needed for the proposed bills.

The Joint Committee on the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, will convene on March 25 and April 2, 2025. On March 25, interactions are scheduled with Justice D.N. Patel, chairperson of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal, and Attorney General of India, R. Venkataramani.

The proceedings on April 2 will feature discussions with Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice B.S. Chauhan, focusing on the constitutional amendments and their implications. These interactions aim to address significant shifts in the Constitution and laws governing Union Territories. Concurrently, the 'One Nation, One Election' initiative is under thorough scrutiny by the JPC, chaired by BJP MP PP Chaudhary.

Recent sessions witnessed contributions from former Solicitor General Harish Salve and Justice Ajit Prakash Shah. While Salve endorsed the constitutionality of the bill, Shah suggested modifications. The JPC is consolidating views to fine-tune the bill and plans to launch a platform for stakeholder feedback, facilitating nationwide discussion on the proposed electoral synchronization.

(With inputs from agencies.)