New Delhi

The Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on 'One Nation, One Election' and BJP MP PP Chaudhary on Monday said Padma awardees who interacted with the Joint Committee examining the "One Nation, One Election" proposal broadly favoured its implementation, provided adequate safeguards are put in place.

Speaking to ANI after the meeting, Chaudhary said the Padma awardees, representing diverse sectors of civil society, shared their experiences and provided valuable suggestions to the committee.

"During the meeting, we received valuable insights from the Padma awardees. They brought with them extensive experience, acting as representatives of civil society, and provided the committee with significant input. Since these awardees come from diverse sectors, they shared a wide range of experiences; I believe the committee gained rich information and excellent suggestions from them," Chaudhary said.

He said the awardees' views on "One Nation, One Election" were important and that there was a broad desire among them for the proposal to be implemented in the national interest, subject to sufficient safeguards.

"Their views on 'One Nation, One Election' are very important. The Padma awardees generally feel that 'One Nation, One Election' is in the national interest, provided sufficient safeguards are in place and that the committee should work towards this goal; there is a broad desire for 'One Nation, One Election' to be implemented," he said.

Chaudhary said the committee was also tasked by Parliament with examining the bill and making recommendations.

"Regarding the bill, the committee has been tasked by Parliament to examine and make recommendations; we sought Mr Chidambaram's views as part of this examination process, and the committee will consider them before making its recommendations," Chaudhary further said.

The meeting's agenda included interactions with Congress MP and former Union Minister P Chidambaram, Padma Awardees from Delhi, representatives of Nation First, Policy Research Centre and the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, is linked to the proposed reform popularly known as "One Nation, One Election," which seeks to synchronise elections for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is also part of the broader framework aimed at facilitating the implementation of simultaneous elections across the country.

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These Bills, introduced on December 17, 2024, in the Lok Sabha and sent to the JPC for further scrutiny, collectively aim to introduce simultaneous elections across the country.