New Delhi [India], August 10 (ANI): The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the One Nation One Election Bill is scheduled to interact with a panel of experts on Monday (August 11) at 3 pm. The meeting will be held at the Main Committee Room (MCR) of the Parliament House Annexe. Among the experts invited to share their views are Prof. G. Gopal Reddy from Miranda House, University of Delhi; Prof. Sushma Yadava of the Central University of Haryana; Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, former Rajya Sabha member; Prof. Sheila Rai of Rashtriya Samaj Vigyan Parishad; and Prof. Nani Gopal Mahanta from Gauhati University. The session will focus on the prospects and challenges of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies across India.
The JPC will interact further with Justice Sanjiv Khanna, former Chief Justice of India, on the said Bills on August 19.
Earlier, at the JPC meeting on July 30, a presentation was made by NK Singh, former Rajya Sabha Member and Chairman of the Fifteenth Finance Commission of India, and Dr. Prachi Mishra, Professor of Economics at Ashoka University. Their presentation highlighted the economic benefits of simultaneous elections. They stated that simultaneous elections can lead to a 1.5% increase in real GDP growth, equivalent to ₹4.5 lakh crores in FY24 terms — almost half the total health budget or a third of the education budget. Fiscal deficit rises by 1.3 percentage points of GDP after simultaneous elections due to post-election spending, while pre-election spending is lower compared to non-simultaneous elections.
The capital-to-current spending ratio is 5.4 percentage points higher post-simultaneous elections, indicating a shift towards productive, return-generating investments. Gross Fixed Capital Formation is 0.5 percentage points higher post-simultaneous elections, reflecting greater investment activity, especially private and foreign.
Frequent elections create uncertainty that disrupts manufacturing, construction, tourism, and healthcare, with migrant workers frequently returning home, affecting productivity. Nearly one-third of India’s population consists of migrants. Multiple elections impose a financial burden and often deny them voting rights, weakening the universal adult franchise. Primary school enrolment is 0.5 percentage points lower around non-simultaneous elections due to teachers on election duty and schools being converted into polling booths.
Elections see a rise in crime due to the diversion of police for electoral duties, with crime growing more during non-simultaneous elections due to the longer duration of deployment. Non-simultaneous elections necessitate the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) four times in five years, which restricts government functioning and slows down development work.
India has not had a single year without elections since 1986, placing the country in a perpetual election mode. Election promises in one state often influence policies in others, leading to a policy contagion effect. Frequent elections also fuel unsustainable welfare measures, which NK Singh calls a “race to the bottom” in fiscal populism. Repeated elections lead to speculative uncertainty about MSPs, subsidies, and loan waivers, distorting farmer decision-making and affecting the agri-economy.
The JPC on One Nation One Poll was constituted during the last winter session of Parliament after the Centre agreed to subject the ONOE Bill to detailed legislative scrutiny. Initially tabled by law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, the committee’s membership was later expanded to 39, accommodating demands from the opposition.
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