Proposal to hold joint polls flawed, undermines basic structure of Constitution, says Chidambaram

Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram addressed a parliamentary panel on Monday, asserting that the proposal to hold simultaneous elections as currently conceived was flawed and threatened the fundamental structure of the Constitution. This critique stemmed from the Bills under discussion, the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which seek to synchronize Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections.

During the 129th meeting of the joint committee of Parliament, Chidambaram argued that fixing a legislative term to five years would contravene the Constitution's basic architecture. He further indicated that he could not endorse the Bills, citing his lack of confidence in the government's ability to secure the necessary two-thirds majority for passage.

Opposition party members on the committee expressed similar reservations, contending that the proposal would centralize excessive authority in the hands of the Election Commission of India.

The joint committee, chaired by BJP MP P P Chaudhary, comprises representatives from various political parties, including BJP's Anil Baluni and Sanjay Jaiswal, Congress's Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Manish Tewari, SP’s Dharmendra Yadav, and TMC’s Sagarika Ghose. The committee also engaged with Padma Awardees, whose views on the proposal were mixed. One awardee backed the proposal, arguing that regular enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) disrupts developmental initiatives, while others opposed the plan.

Committee chairperson Chaudhary reported that the meeting lasted seven hours, with Chidambaram leading a thorough and constructive discussion. He emphasized the committee’s commitment to forging the most beneficial framework for One Nation, One Election, transcending party affiliations and ideological divides.