The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the proposed 'One Nation, One Election' bills is working towards developing a mechanism that could make simultaneous elections operational by the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, committee chairperson P.P. Chaudhary said on Friday. He also indicated that some states could align their electoral cycles earlier if political parties and state governments voluntarily agree to the proposal. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the committee's two-day meeting in Goa, Chaudhary said the panel is consulting a wide range of stakeholders across the country to build consensus on the proposed electoral reform.

According to him, the consultations are aimed at identifying practical solutions that would allow simultaneous elections while addressing constitutional, legal and administrative challenges. The committee met Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and members of his Cabinet on Friday to seek their views on implementing simultaneous elections. Discussions focused on the challenges involved in synchronising election cycles for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, as well as possible measures to ensure smooth implementation.

"We had an informal interaction with the chief minister and cabinet ministers, who represent the people of Goa. We discussed how 'One Nation, One Election' can be implemented, what challenges exist and how they can be mitigated while maintaining a fine balance acceptable to all," Chaudhary said. The BJP MP from Rajasthan's Pali constituency said the committee has already held consultations in Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. The discussions have involved constitutional experts, civil society organisations, educationists and other stakeholders to gather diverse perspectives on the proposed reform.

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Chaudhary claimed that nearly 99 per cent of the civil society stakeholders consulted so far had expressed support for simultaneous elections. He said the committee's objective is to evolve a mechanism that can secure broad political consensus rather than imposing a one-sided framework. "We have found that almost 99 per cent of stakeholders, particularly from civil society and various organisations, favour simultaneous elections. The effort now is to evolve a mechanism that is acceptable to all political parties," he said. On the timeline, Chaudhary said the committee is evaluating multiple implementation models and suggested that the reform could be introduced in time for the 2029 general elections.

He added that there is also scope for bringing some states into alignment before then if chief ministers and political parties voluntarily agree to synchronise their assembly election schedules. The proposal for simultaneous elections has been a key electoral reform agenda of the Union government, which argues that conducting Lok Sabha and state assembly elections together would reduce election-related expenditure, minimise governance disruptions caused by the Model Code of Conduct and improve administrative efficiency.

However, opposition parties and several constitutional experts have raised concerns over its feasibility, federal implications and the constitutional amendments that would be required. The JPC is expected to continue its nationwide consultations before finalising its recommendations on the bills. Its report is likely to play a crucial role in determining the future course of the proposed 'One Nation, One Election' reform and whether it can be implemented ahead of the 2029 parliamentary elections.

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