ONOE: JPC request to depose senior counsel Harish Salve and Attorney General of India R Venkataraman

New Delhi [India], March 12 (ANI): The Joint Parliamentary Committee on 'One Nation One Election' has requested to depose senior counsel Harish Salve and Attorney General of India, R Venkataraman in its next meeting on March 17 to seek legal suggestions.
After the meeting of the JPC on 'One Nation, One Election' concluded on Tuesday, Committee Chairman PP Chaudhary said that every member is working in the national interest.
PP Chaudhary also informed that former CJI Ranjan Gogoi and former Delhi HC CJ Rajendra Menon attended the meeting and addressed the questions of all members across all parties.
"Two experts attended the meeting, former CJI Ranjan Gogoi and former Delhi HC CJ Rajendra Menon. They gave a presentation and all the members of all parties asked questions with great interest... Every member of the JPC is working in the national interest," PP Chaudhary said.
"I am sure we will work for 'One Nation One Election' in the national interest. All doubts are being cleared through discussions and deliberation," he said.
Speaking about the meeting BJP and JPC member Bhartruhari Mahtab said, "We had a fruitful discussion in the JPC and Justice Gogoi and Justice Menon elucidated the legal viewpoints."
In the last JPC meeting on February 25, many leaders questioned the "affordability and practicality" of holding simultaneous elections across the country. Some MPs also alleged that the move was designed to benefit the ruling party rather than strengthen democratic processes.
Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, former Chairperson of the Law Commission and Judicial Member of Lokpal, who was present during the session, faced pointed questions from multiple MPs. They sought clarity on whether the proposed legislation would favour the ruling party and undermine the electoral process.
In response, Justice Awasthi defended the bill, stating that it aimed to bring electoral stability, though concerns about potential bias persisted.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reportedly questioned the logistical challenges of conducting simultaneous elections.
The Constitution Amendment Bill on One Nation, One Election, currently under review by the Joint Parliamentary Committee, proposes aligning the election cycles of the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
Several opposition parties, including Congress, Trinamool Congress, and DMK, have opposed the bill.
The government argues that synchronising electoral timelines will help address logistical challenges, reduce costs, and minimise disruptions caused by frequent elections.
The recommendations of the High-Level Committee Report on Simultaneous Elections were accepted by the Union Cabinet on September 18, 2024. The first meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the 'One Nation One Election' bill was held on January 8. (ANI)