Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has said simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies cannot be held in 2029, and warned that the Congress and other opposition parties would launch a nationwide campaign against the proposed legislation.
The former Union home and finance minister described the Bills underpinning the Modi government's 'One Nation, One Election' initiative as a "Constitutional monstrosity" in a parliamentary democracy.
His remarks came a day after PP Chaudhary, chairman of the joint parliamentary committee examining the Bills, said simultaneous elections in 2029 would be possible if the Constitution were amended and state governments supported the move.
Chaudhary heads the 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
In a post on X, Chidambaram said he had read Chaudhary's statement that simultaneous elections could be held in 2029.
"I am afraid his view is wrong and goes against the text of the Bill. Even if the Bill is passed (which is very unlikely), the 'appointed date' under the Bill can only be a date 'after a general election'. The next general election will take place in 2029. Hence, simultaneous elections are not possible in 2029, which is a blessing," he said.
Chidambaram said the Congress and other opposition parties would launch a nationwide campaign against the Bills, which he described as a "constitutional monstrosity in parliamentary democracy in a federal country".
He submitted his views on the Bills to the JPC on Monday and said he was grateful for the opportunity to present his views on 'One Nation One Election'.
"I am not at liberty to disclose my evidence to the JPC but the basic thrust of my deposition was that the Bill violated the basic features of the Constitution, especially the tenets of parliamentary democracy in a federal country," he said.
Sources said Chidambaram strongly opposed the proposal during his deposition before the JPC, calling it "unconstitutional".
He also described the proposal to hold nationwide elections under "One Nation, One Election" as a "mindless" exercise, the sources said.
Chidambaram argued that since legislatures are elected for five-year terms, curtailing their tenure would directly violate the basic structure of the Constitution, according to the sources.
He also said his conscience did not allow him to support the Bills and argued that the government did not have the two-thirds majority needed to pass the legislation, the sources said.
The Bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2024 and subsequently referred to the JPC for examination.
They were formulated after a high-level panel headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind recommended holding elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies simultaneously in a phased manner. Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also a member of the panel.
After the Constitution came into force, elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies were held simultaneously from 1951 to 1967. The first general elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies were held together in 1951-52, followed by simultaneous elections in 1957, 1962 and 1967.
The cycle was disrupted in 1968 and 1969 following the premature dissolution of several state assemblies.
The Fourth Lok Sabha was also dissolved early in 1970, leading to fresh elections in 1971. Unlike the first three Lok Sabhas, which completed their five-year terms, the Fifth Lok Sabha's term was extended until 1977 under Article 352 following the declaration of Emergency.
Since then, only a few Lok Sabha terms have lasted the full five years, including the Eighth, Tenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth. Several others were dissolved early.
State assemblies have faced similar disruptions, with premature dissolutions and term extensions contributing to the staggered election cycle seen across India today.
(With inputs from PTI)
