Centre expands parliamentary committee for 'One Nation, One Election' bills
What's the story
The central government has expanded the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) reviewing the "One Nation, One Election" bills. The committee now has 39 members, an increase from the earlier 31. This is aimed at bringing more political parties into the review process. The reconstituted committee will have 27 members from the Lok Sabha and 12 from Rajya Sabha. According to NDTV, the bills to amend the Constitution—to permit simultaneous federal and state elections by 2034—have been sent to the new committee.
Committee expansion
New members added to parliamentary committee
The new Lok Sabha members include representatives from Shiv Sena (UBT), CPI(M), and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). Of the 27 Lok Sabha members proposed in the committee, 17 belong to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, with 12 from the BJP itself. Notable additions include Baijayant Panda and Sanjay Jaiswal from BJP, Chhotelal from SP, Anil Desai from Shiv Sena (UBT), Shambhavi from LJP, and K Radhakrishnan from CPI(M).
Bill controversy
Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill faces opposition
The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha earlier this week. The bill seeks to facilitate simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies but needs a two-thirds majority in Parliament for passage and may require ratification by state governments. Critics claim it could jeopardize India's federal structure by subordinating state legislatures to Parliament. However, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal assured that "there will be no damage to the Constitution via this Bill."
Faces
Who will represent who
Notable faces from the opposition side include Congress MPs Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Manish Tewari and the Trinamool's Kalyan Banerjee and Saket Gokhale, while former Union Minister Anurag Thakur, Sambit Patra, and Anil Baluni will represent the government. The JPC will have an initial duration of 90 days, which can be extended.
Tasks
Election Commission to be consulted
Per NDTV, the committee has been entrusted with holding "wider consultations" on five contentious constitutional reforms, including limiting and/or modifying state and union territory assembly tenure and linking them to the Lok Sabha. The Election Commission is among those that will be consulted. It will be tasked with arranging the massive simultaneous polls.