JPC on ‘one election’ focuses on legality of govt’s ‘remainder term’

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on ‘One Nation One Election’ (ONOE) on Monday heard depositions from academicians and political scientists who largely supported the concept, though much of the discussion centered on the legalities related to the “remainder term” in case a government falls mid-term.

As per sources, the meeting focused on the prospects and challenges of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. Some experts argued that democracy is not limited to elections alone and highlighted that frequent polls increase the risk of corruption, which weakens democratic processes. They also noted that the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) tends to slow down government work and decision-making.

The experts identified four broad areas for reforms: political parties, campaign finance and conduct, parliamentary and legislative processes, and women’s representation. They observed that local self-government institutions have done better in promoting women’s representation, as reflected in the increasing number of women winning non-reserved seats.

Suggestions included making candidates’ report cards available to voters, implementing Action Taken Reports on party manifestos, and encouraging constituency-specific manifestos. Former Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said that while ONOE provisions address the remainder term issue, further reforms in various areas are necessary.