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India Gazette
22-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Uttarakhand CM Dhami participates in JPC dialogue program on One Nation, One Election
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], May 22 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday participated in a dialogue program with the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the topic 'One Nation, One Election' at a hotel on Mussoorie Road. On this occasion, he welcomed and greeted the Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, PP Chaudhary and all the committee members. The Chief Minister said that 'One Nation One Election' is an important initiative towards making our democracy more strong, effective and inclusive. He said that our election system has been effective and strong despite its diversity. However, because elections are held at different times, the code of conduct is imposed repeatedly, which is why all the work of the states comes to a standstill. Whenever elections come, many personnel must be removed from their original work and put on election duty. The Chief Minister said that in the last three years, due to the code of conduct of the Assembly, Lok Sabha and Municipal elections in the state, the administrative machinery of the state was deprived of the process of taking policy decisions for 175 days. For a small and limited resource state, these 175 days are important from the point of view of governance. The Chief Minister said that the state government bears the entire expenditure burden of the assembly elections, and the central government bears the expenditure burden of the Lok Sabha elections. If both polls are held together, the expenditure burden on the state and the central government will be equally halved. By holding both the elections together, there will be a saving of about 30 to 35 per cent in the total expenditure. This can be used in many areas of the state, such as health, education, road, water, agriculture, and women's empowerment. The Chief Minister said that in Uttarakhand, the period from June to September is the time of rain along with the Chardham Yatra; in such a situation, many problems must be faced due to the election program. Apart from this, the election process should not be scheduled during the last quarter of the financial year, from January to March. Due to the high school and intermediate board examinations in February-March, administrative resources are under additional pressure. He said that 'one nation, one election' is important in hilly and difficult geographical conditions states like Uttarakhand. The Chief Minister said that it is difficult to reach polling booths in remote areas of Uttarakhand, which is why the election process takes more time and resources. It is also challenging for voters in mountainous areas to participate in elections, due to frequent elections, people's inclination towards voting decreases, and the voting percentage also decreases. (ANI)
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
One nation, one election vital for hill states like Uttarakhand: Dhami
Dehradun: A joint parliamentary committee on 'One Nation, One Election', headed by BJP MP PP Chaudhary met with chief minister on Wednesday. During their interaction, Dhami highlighted the challenges posed by , stating that over the past three years, the state's administrative machinery was inactive for 175 days due to the repeated imposition of the (MCC) for assembly, Lok Sabha (LS) and municipal elections. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "For a state with limited resources, these 175 days are critical from a governance standpoint," he said. Dhami also noted that while the state bears the full cost of assembly elections, the Centre covers LS election expenses. "If both elections are held simultaneously, the financial burden would be halved for both state and central govts. Conducting them together could save approximately 30-35% of total expenditure, funds that could be redirected to health, education, infrastructure, agriculture and women's empowerment," he said. Calling 'One Nation, One Election' a "significant initiative" to strengthen democracy, Dhami said that although India's electoral system remains effective despite its diversity, staggered elections often result in prolonged MCC enforcement, disrupting state functions. "Each election pulls a large number of personnel away from their primary responsibilities to election duties," he added. Dhami pointed out that 's unique geographical and climatic conditions further complicate election logistics. The Char Dham Yatra and monsoon season from June to Sept make it a difficult time for polling. He also suggested avoiding elections in the final quarter of the financial year (Jan–March), as it coincides with high school and intermediate board exams, straining administrative resources. The CM emphasised that 'One Nation, One Election' would be particularly beneficial for Himalayan states like Uttarakhand. "Reaching remote polling stations is time-consuming and resource-intensive. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In hilly regions, voter participation is already a challenge, and frequent elections diminish public enthusiasm, resulting in lower turnout," Dhami said. Dehradun: A joint parliamentary committee on 'One Nation, One Election', headed by BJP MP PP Chaudhary met with chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday. During their interaction, Dhami highlighted the challenges posed by frequent elections, stating that over the past three years, the state's administrative machinery was inactive for 175 days due to the repeated imposition of the model code of conduct (MCC) for assembly, Lok Sabha (LS) and municipal elections. "For a state with limited resources, these 175 days are critical from a governance standpoint," he said. Dhami also noted that while the state bears the full cost of assembly elections, the Centre covers LS election expenses. "If both elections are held simultaneously, the financial burden would be halved for both state and central govts. Conducting them together could save approximately 30-35% of total expenditure, funds that could be redirected to health, education, infrastructure, agriculture and women's empowerment," he said. Calling 'One Nation, One Election' a "significant initiative" to strengthen democracy, Dhami said that although India's electoral system remains effective despite its diversity, staggered elections often result in prolonged MCC enforcement, disrupting state functions. "Each election pulls a large number of personnel away from their primary responsibilities to election duties," he added. Dhami pointed out that Uttarakhand's unique geographical and climatic conditions further complicate election logistics. The Char Dham Yatra and monsoon season from June to Sept make it a difficult time for polling. He also suggested avoiding elections in the final quarter of the financial year (Jan–March), as it coincides with high school and intermediate board exams, straining administrative resources. The CM emphasised that 'One Nation, One Election' would be particularly beneficial for Himalayan states like Uttarakhand. "Reaching remote polling stations is time-consuming and resource-intensive. In hilly regions, voter participation is already a challenge, and frequent elections diminish public enthusiasm, resulting in lower turnout," Dhami said.
Hindustan Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Simultaneous polls in phases, hints expert panel
MUMBAI: The expert panel on the proposed 'One Nation, One Election' legislation hinted that simultaneous elections, at the heart of the legislation, would be rolled out in phases, beginning with simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections. Local body elections would be added at a later stage. This was indicated by PP Chaudhary, chairperson of the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) on One Nation, One Election, on Monday. According to a report submitted to the committee, which is on an all-states visit to seek opinions on the proposed legislation, simultaneous elections could save ₹7,500 crore to ₹12,000 crore spent by the Election Commission of India during each general election cycle. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde and other political leaders, such as leader of the opposition in the legislative council Ambadas Danve, met the 42-member JPC on Monday. The committee explored the constitutional, logistical and consequential challenges relating to the mechanism of conducting simultaneous elections. It engaged with representatives from various institutions, including the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa, Bombay High Court Bar Association, MNLU Mumbai, NSE, BSE, MACCIA, and the Maharashtra Agro-Industries Development Corporation, to discuss the implications of the bill. The committee also met filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, who shared his views on the challenges faced by the film industry due to frequent elections. According to a presentation by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Election Commission of India's expenditure for the 2019 Lok Sabha election was ₹15,000 crore. The cost of conducting assembly elections can range between ₹300 and ₹1,000 crore, depending on the size of the state. According to various estimates, simultaneous elections can reduce election expenditure by 25-40%, with potential savings of ₹7,500 to ₹12,000 crore, per general election cycle,' the presentation stated. It also underlined that, at the same time, the fiscal deficit for two years, pre- and post-simultaneous elections, may rise by 1.28% for the central government and 2.29% for the states compared to non-simultaneous elections. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve warned that One Nation, One Election could create a monopoly of one party. 'During Lok Sabha elections, at some places, voting continued till 2 am due several problems. This underlines that we do not have accurate and adequate machinery to hold simultaneous elections effectively,' said Danve in a memorandum to the JPC.
New Indian Express
18-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
17 MPs including chairman of JPC on 'One Nation One Poll' to receive Sansad Ratna Awards 2025
NEW DELHI: PP Chaudhary, Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha and Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on 'One Nation, One Election,' is among 17 MPs selected for the Sansad Ratna Awards 2025. Among the awardees, two Parliamentary Standing Committees have also been recognised. The Sansad Ratna Awards, instituted by the Prime Point Foundation (PPF), is given to honour MPs for their contributions to Parliament after they are chosen by a Jury Committee on the basis of their performances. This year's jury was chaired by Hansraj Ahir, Chairman of the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC). According to sources at PPF, Bhartruhari Mahtab, Supriya Sule (NCP-SP), N K Premachandran (RSP), and Shrirang Appa Barne will receive the awards for their "Outstanding and Consistent Contribution to Parliamentary Democracy" as top performers during the 16th and 17th Lok Sabha, continuing their commitment in the current tenure. PP Chaudhary, who leads the JPC on One Nation, One Election, has been selected for the award for the third time. He represents Rajasthan.
Hindustan Times
18-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
One Nation, One Election: JPC in Mumbai for deliberations
MUMBAI: Barring political parties in the opposition, the ruling parties and the financial and banking sector supported the proposed 'One Nation, One Election' legislation, which seeks to hold simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, to streamline the electoral process. This emerged during deliberations with the joint parliamentary committee (JPC), in Mumbai as part of its all-states visit, on Saturday. The 42-member JPC met leaders from political parties, representatives of farmer organisations, leaders from the banking and financial sector, and the administrative heads of various state government departments. The panel will meet more stakeholders from various sectors, including pubic undertaking units and the film-making community on Monday. PP Chaudhary, BJP MP and chairperson of the JPC, said the panel had asked state government departments, and even the financial sector, to submit comprehensive reports to illustrate the impact of separate elections held in the country in various sectors. He said simultaneous elections would help GDP grow by an additional 1.6% as it would save ₹4.50 lakh crore spent on holding multiple elections across the country. He also said if parliamentary, assembly and local body elections are held simultaneously, it would enhance voters' interest and result in a turnout that could reach 90%. 'During our meeting with the administrative heads of various state government departments, we asked them to submit reports based on case studies. The education department is expected to submit an illustrative study on the impact on students, teachers, teaching hours, among other things. Similarly, the banking and finance sector has been asked to consider various aspects including impact on staff operation, credit discipline, rural economy, among other things. This would help us arrive at a conclusion while submitting our report to parliament. 'One Nation, One Election' is a historic reformative step and we do not want to arrive at any conclusions in haste,' he said, addressing the media on Saturday. Though the JPC had invited all former chief ministers, none of them turned up before the parliamentary panel, except Privthviraj Chavan. He claimed the concept would result in an imposition of elections on the state and against the constitutional structure of a federal system. Chavan also said the concept would help the ruling party at the Centre gain an upper hand in elections, and it could misuse the electoral machinery. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab demanded that polling be done via ballot paper. Aam Admi Party's Preeti Menon and Samajwadi Party's Abu Asim Azmi opposed the concept of simultaneous polls. Chaudhari said the panel has already met four former chief justices of India, Supreme Court judges and legal luminaries, and will be visiting all the states and Union territories. 'The first three Lok Sabha and assembly polls after Independence were held simultaneously, though the system collapsed after 1967 owing to the use of Article 356 of the Constitution (which relates to President's rule). The dissolution of state governments and no-confidence motions resulted in the collapse of state governments, necessitating multiple elections in the country. The new bill tabled in parliament has a provision for elections for the reminder period in case any assembly is dissolved before its term ends. This would help in holding simultaneous elections,' Chaudhari said. NABARD chairperson, senior officials representing the State Bank of India and other centralised banks supported the One Nation, One Election concept. In its presentation, NABARD stated that 'a unified election cycle may reduce the incidence of politically motivated waivers, helping preserve credit culture and NABARD's refinance credibility.' Other banking officials stressed simultaneous elections, saying multiple elections affect policy continuity and stability, operational efficiency, fund utilisation, continuity in the operations, among other things.
