All posts tagged: Simultaneous

‘Simultaneous polls are in national interest’: JPC begins 3-day Gujarat visit | Ahmedabad News

‘Simultaneous polls are in national interest’: JPC begins 3-day Gujarat visit | Ahmedabad News

Published by Parlour News

A joint parliamentary committee (JPC) examining the proposal for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies began its three-day visit to Gujarat on Tuesday to hold discussions with stakeholders and gather views on the issue. On its first day, the panel met a team of top Gujarat government officials that was led by Chief Secretary MK Das, who apprised the JPC on the difficulties and costs involved in holding separate elections. Following the chief secretary’s presentation, the JPC asked him to compile a department-wise report on the subject so that it could be shared with other states as a model to prepare similar state-specific reports. The 41-member JPC is headed by BJP MP PP Chaudhary and has been touring states for consultation with stakeholders on two Bills—The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill 2024 and The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024—that propose “One Nation, One Election”. Gujarat is the seventh state that the Committee is visiting. Around 20 members of the committee are visiting Gujarat. The Chief Secretary was accompanied by secretaries of several …

Tenure of parliamentary panel on simultaneous polls extended

Tenure of parliamentary panel on simultaneous polls extended

Published by Parlour News

P.P. Chaudhary. File | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma The Lok Sabha on Wednesday (March 18, 2026) extended the tenure of the parliamentary committee examining Bills that seek to introduce simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies till the monsoon session. Parliament Budget Session highlights on March 18, 2026 P.P. Chaudhary, chairmain of the Joint Committee of Parliament examining the Bills seeking to introduce simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, moved a motion seeking extension of the tenure of the panel. He sought an extension of the tenure of the Joint Committee on the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, up to the first day of the last week of the 2026 monsoon session. The Lok Sabha adopted the motion by a voice vote. The Committee has met constitutional experts, economists, Law Commission members, several politicians, including Ghulam Nabi Azad, since it was constituted in December 2026. The Bills were introduced on December 17, 2024, in the Lok Sabha and sent to …

Simultaneous elections are essential to become a developed nation by 2047: Chaudhary

Simultaneous elections are essential to become a developed nation by 2047: Chaudhary

Published by Parlour News

The JPC on simultaneous polls has had 16 meetings consulting a wide array of witnesses, including six former Chief Justices of India. You have made your support for the legislation very clear. Why do you believe India needs to synchronise its election cycle? This reform is necessary from an economic standpoint to prevent wastage of manpower and to avoid disruption of investment. ‘One nation, one election’ is key for ‘Viksit Bharat’. In Uttarakhand, for instance, tourism accounts for 43% of the State’s revenue and operates effectively for only four months. An election held in April-May during this window severely disrupts the economy. Nationwide, separate voter lists for panchayat, municipal, Assembly and Lok Sabha elections must be prepared repeatedly, largely by government school teachers. Their frequent deployment for training and election duties disrupts teaching, hurting students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. A paper presented to the Ram Nath Kovind Committee (an 8-member high-level panel on simultaneous elections) by [former Finance Commissioner] N.K. Singh and Prachi Mishra [economics professor] estimated a recurring loss of 1.6% of the …

Gita Gopinath, Sanjeev Sanyal appear before parliamentary panel on simultaneous polls

Gita Gopinath, Sanjeev Sanyal appear before parliamentary panel on simultaneous polls

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Published on: Dec 17, 2025 11:45 pm IST Chairman of the Committee, P P Chaudhary, said both the economists gave valuable suggestions on the economic aspects of holding simultaneous polls. Two top economists on Wednesday appeared before a parliamentary panel examining the Bills on simultaneous elections and submitted their views on economic aspects and the manner in which tackle it. Union Finance Nirmala Sitharaman with former deputy managing director of International Monetary Fund Gita Gopinath during a meeting, at Parliament House(@nsitharamanoffc) Professor of Economics at Harvard University Gita Gopinath, who was previously IMF First Deputy Managing Director; and member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Economic Advisory Council, Sanjeev Sanyal, gave their presentations before the members of the Joint Committee of Parliament examining the Bills on simultaneous elections. Chairman of the Committee, P P Chaudhary, said both the economists gave valuable suggestions on the economic aspects of holding simultaneous polls. “The members sought clarifications which both the renowned economists replied with clarity,” he said. Chaudhary said if simultaneous elections are conducted in the country, there will …

Citing federalism and rights of states, Sibal opposes simultaneous elections | India News

Citing federalism and rights of states, Sibal opposes simultaneous elections | India News

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Rajya Sabha member and Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, who appeared before the Joint Committee of Parliament on ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bills, was said to have opposed the idea of simultaneous elections on the ground that it would against the basic structure of the Constitution and federalism and impinge on the rights of states. The panel, chaired by BJP MP P P Chaudhary, met on Wednesday. Among those who attended the meeting were BJP MPs Sambit Patra, Anurag Thakur, Congress members Manish Tewari, Sukdhdeo Bhagat, and SP member Dharmendra Yadav. Sibal was said to have opposed the idea to hold simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state Assemblies on the ground that it would curtail the rights of state governments. In his view, the Bills would not stand the Constitutional test, and be against its principles. Parliamentary committee proceedings are privileged and details of exchanges between members during meetings are not made public. Speaking after the meeting, Chaudhary told reporters that Sibal “clarified various queries of the members about the One Nation One Election Bills”. …

Union Law Ministry defends simultaneous polls proposal; says curtailing tenure not against basic structure of Constitution

Union Law Ministry defends simultaneous polls proposal; says curtailing tenure not against basic structure of Constitution

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The Ministry underscored that simultaneous elections aim at reducing the frequency of polls and associated expenditure. | Photo Credit: ANI The Union Law Ministry, in a written submission to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Bills on simultaneous elections, said that the proposed framework does not violate the Constitution’s basic structure, nor does it infringe upon the federal structure of the Constitution. The JPC, headed by senior BJP leader P.P. Chaudhary will be meeting representatives from the 23rd Law Commission and the Election Commission on December 4. The Law Ministry, which has already submitted replies to the questions posed by the panel, will be appearing at a later meeting. The Law Commission has submitted a report running 100 pages, making arguments similar to that of the Law Ministry. Responding to queries on whether curtailing the tenure of a government undermines the voter’s right to elect a government for five years, the Ministry said Articles 83(2) and 172(1) of the Constitution explicitly provide that the term of the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies shall be …

Drishyam 3: Distribution and digital rights of Mohanlal starrer sold, fans speculate simultaneous release

Drishyam 3: Distribution and digital rights of Mohanlal starrer sold, fans speculate simultaneous release

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Mohanlal-starrer Drishyam 3 is currently in production and is expected to wrap up filming soon. Now, the production company Panorama Studios has announced that they have acquired several rights to the movie, leading fans to speculate about the Malayalam film’s release. Is Mohanlal-starrer Drishyam 3 set to release simultaneously along with other language adaptations? Several trackers online have recently shared an official note indicating that the production and distribution company Panorama Studios has bought the theatrical, digital, and airborne rights to Drishyam 3. According to the note, Panorama Studios has acquired the exclusive worldwide theatrical rights, both in India and overseas-from the producers, Aashirvad Cinemas. However, with the rights now in their hands, many fans are speculating whether this could delay the release of the Malayalam version. As the rights have been sold, several fans wonder if the film might only be released simultaneously with its Hindi and Telugu remakes. Earlier reports suggested that all adaptations of the Malayalam film would hit theaters together. However, production for the other versions has not yet begun, while …

India and Pakistan hold simultaneous naval drills in Arabian Sea amid tensions post-Pahalgam terror attack

India and Pakistan hold simultaneous naval drills in Arabian Sea amid tensions post-Pahalgam terror attack

Published by Webster

While such military drills are routine for both nations, the timing and proximity of these exercises have drawn attention in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack which killed 26 innocent people on April 22. New Delhi: In a significant development in the Arabian Sea, both India and Pakistan are holding naval exercises almost simultaneously near each other’s maritime zones. The Indian Navy is conducting its maritime drills from April 30 to May 3 off the coast of Gujarat — maintaining a position around 85 nautical miles inside its maritime boundary. Meanwhile, just across the sea, Pakistan is also carrying out its own naval exercise which started on April 30 and set to conclude on May 2. While such military drills are routine for both nations, the timing and proximity of these exercises have drawn attention in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack which killed 26 innocent people on April 22.  As India has adopted a tough stance against Pakistan post-Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian Navy on Wednesday made a bold statement by showcasing …

Harish Salve backs simultaneous polls, Justice Shah opposes | India News

Harish Salve backs simultaneous polls, Justice Shah opposes | India News

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Former Solicitor General Harish Salve and former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Ajit Prakash Shah on Monday presented their views to the Joint Committee of Parliament on simultaneous elections, with the former supporting it and the latter opposing it. It is learnt that while Salve supported the idea of holding simultaneous elections, saying it would pass Constitutional scrutiny, Shah told the committee that the Bills may face legal challenges. He also pointed to the provision given to the Election Commission to recommend postponing Assembly polls. He told the committee that the simultaneous election Bills go against the Constitution’s basic structure and federal principles. Story continues below this ad Shah is also learnt to have spoken against the proposition that simultaneous elections save public money. On the other hand, Salve supported one-nation-one-election (ONOE) bills and said they do not curb people’s voting rights. He is also learnt to have told the committee that the constitutional amendments proposed by one of the Bills are very much within the bounds of the Constitution. He is believed to …

Law ministry counters Oppn charge on simultaneous polls | Latest News India

Law ministry counters Oppn charge on simultaneous polls | Latest News India

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The Union law ministry has informed the joint committee of Parliament examining the bills on one nation, one election (ONOE) that holding simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies is not undemocratic and does not undermine the federal structure of the country. The panel will hold its next meeting on Tuesday. Law ministry counters Oppn charge on simultaneous polls Responding to a set of queries posed by the members of the joint panel, the legislative department in the law ministry is learnt to have asserted that simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies were held in the past before the cycle was broken due to various reasons, including imposition of President’s rule in some states. Opposition parties have criticised the ONOE bills, calling them anti-democratic in nature and alleging they violate the federal structure. They maintained that such a bill cannot be implemented without the approval of states. The reply from the law ministry assumes significance as it comes right before the next meeting in which the panel members will …