One Nation, One Election: EC, NITI Aayog to attend JPC meetings on simultaneous polls

New Delhi: The Election Commission and NITI Aayog have been asked to join the proceedings of the parliamentary panel examining the two bills proposing simultaneous polls in the country. Their participation will be limited to hearing the deliberations.

The Election Commission, as the executing authority, should be aware of the issues being raised by the experts over simultaneous polls. These officials will not deliberate with those who are deposing before the committee and brief about these draft legislation.

Officials from the law ministry have already been attending the meetings of the Joint Parliamentary Committee. For the last few meetings, a Deputy Election Commissioner officer has also been attending the meeting, sources said. NITI Aayog officials are also expected to attend the JPC proceedings in the coming days.

The 39-member Joint Parliamentary Committee, chaired by BJP MP PP Chaudhary, has held five meetings so far and has been briefed by former chief justices of India and former chief justices of Delhi high courts.

Barring former chief justice of the Delhi High Court, Ajit Prakash Shah, the rest are optimistic about the idea of one nation one election.

Several experts, including the former CJIs, have also suggested some improvements to the clauses such as the one which gives power to the poll panel to call for elections for unexpired terms.

Former CJI UU Lalit suggested that simultaneous polls should be implemented in a staggered manner.

The JPC has made wide plans for holding deliberations on these draft legislation with former CJIs, former election commissioners, economists, political parties and others.