Priyanka may join parliamentary panel on 'One Nation, One Election'
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be a part of a joint parliamentary committee that will look into the "One Nation, One Election" Constitution Amendment Bill, reports said on Wednesday. The Bill, which was introduced in Parliament recently, aims to synchronize federal and state elections. The Congress has nominated Vadra and Manish Tewari for the committee, along with other members such as Randeep Surjewala and Sukhdeo Bhagat Singh.
Bill proposes constitutional changes for synchronized elections
The "One Nation, One Election" bill seeks amendments to five articles of the Constitution. Introduced by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in the Lok Sabha, the bill had sparked intense debates and protests from opposition parties. Despite the opposition, 269 MPs voted in favor of accepting the bill while 198 opposed it. The bill was then referred to a joint committee for further examination.
Bill part of BJP's agenda for unified elections
The proposed legislation is part of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) agenda to hold unified elections across India. If passed, it would allow Lok Sabha, Assembly, and local body elections to be held in the same year. A high-level panel headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind has recommended holding Lok Sabha and Assembly polls together, followed by local body elections within 100 days.
Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill raises concerns
The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill seeks to amend three articles and insert Article 82A. This has led to fears of a possible concentration of power in the hands of the Election Commission of India. The joint parliamentary committee, which Vadra is slated to join, will have 90 days to examine these bills but may seek an extension if required.
Other members expected to join parliamentary panel
Other members likely to be part of the parliamentary panel are JD(U)'s Sanjay Jha, Samajwadi Party's Dharmendra Yadav, TDP's Harish Balayogi, DMK's P Wilson and Selva Gagapathy, and Shiv Sena's Shrikant Shinde. The ruling BJP is expected to chair this 31-member committee. The Trinamool Congress has nominated Saket Gokhale and Kalyan Banerjee as their representatives on the committee.
