Chidambaram calls 'One Nation, One Election' Bills unconstitutional at JPC

Former Union Minister P. Chidambaram on Monday strongly opposed the proposal for simultaneous Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections while appearing before the Joint Committee of Parliament (JPC) examining the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024. He described the initiative as “monstrous”, “mindless” and “unconstitutional”.

According to sources, Mr. Chidambaram told the committee that the proposed legislation, which seeks to synchronise Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections under the ‘One Nation, One Election’ framework, violates the Constitution’s basic structure. The senior Congress leader argued that curtailing the tenure of a legislature elected for a fixed five-year term would directly undermine constitutional principles and parliamentary democracy.

The former Home and Finance Minister also said his conscience did not permit him to support the Bills and contended that the government lacked the required two-thirds majority needed for the constitutional amendment to be passed. Sources said the committee recorded his concerns and invited specific suggestions and recommendations for improving the proposed legislation.

The committee, headed by BJP MP P.P. Chaudhary, held a three-part meeting on Monday. The first part was with Mr. Chidambaram, the second with Padma awardees, and the third with two independent think-tanks.

A group of around 10 Padma awardees, including Tarlochan Singh, Navin Khanna, Meenakshi Jain and Niru Kumar, also appeared before the panel. While some supported simultaneous elections, others cautioned that the move could create “chaos” in the country.

Ms. Jain argued that repeated enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct disrupted development projects and said synchronised elections would allow uninterrupted implementation of regional development programmes. Dr. Saumitra Rawat said continuous election cycles affected academic calendars and entrance examinations such as NEET, while cardiologist Ashok Seth pointed to the strain recurrent polls placed on the healthcare system through repeated diversion of medical and administrative personnel.

At the same time, many of the Padma awardees also recommended clearer statutory provisions governing election schedules and timelines for fresh elections.

The committee later heard submissions from Nation First Policy Research and the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, both of which suggested that the law in its present form has many infirmities. The organisations called for clearly defined and judicially reviewable grounds for postponing Assembly elections, fixed outer limits for any deferment, and mandatory parliamentary oversight.

They also stressed the need to avoid governance vacuums during election deferrals, suggesting either structured limits on President’s Rule or caretaker governments restricted to routine administration. Nation First advocated mechanisms such as constructive votes of no-confidence and parity for Union Territories, while Vidhi Centre underscored the need to safeguard the Constitution’s basic structure and limit delegated powers to modify electoral arrangements.

The Bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2024 and referred to the joint committee for examination. They are based on the recommendations of a high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, which proposed synchronising Lok Sabha, State Assembly and local body elections in a phased manner.