Former CJI UU Lalit expressed legal concerns regarding the ‘One Nation One Election’ Bill before a Joint Parliamentary Committee. He advised staggering elections to avoid constitutional challenges during implementation.
Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) UU Lalit appeared before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the ‘One Nation One Election’ (ONOE) Bill on Tuesday and raised key concerns about the legal challenges the proposal might face. He also suggested staggering the entire process to ensure a smoother transition.
Justice Lalit, who was called as an expert witness, cautioned the committee about the potential legal hurdles if Assembly tenures are curtailed drastically. This could lead to constitutional challenges that may complicate the implementation of simultaneous elections.
Also Read: Former CJI UU Lalit to Appear Before Panel for One Nation One Election Discussion
The discussion reportedly lasted almost three hours, with committee members actively engaging with him on various clauses of the Bill.
Former Law Commission chairperson Ritu Raj Awasthi also deposed before the committee. He reiterated his stance that the Bill does not violate the Constitution or the federal structure of India. He had previously submitted a detailed report to the committee, summarizing his findings.
The Modi government had formed a high-level committee, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, to examine the feasibility of simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The committee’s report strongly recommended implementing ONOE.
Also Read: Prashant Bhushan: One Nation, One Election Is Unconstitutional & Impractical
Following this, the Union Cabinet accepted the recommendations and introduced two Bills in the Lok Sabha. A 39-member Joint Parliamentary Committee, led by BJP MP and former minister P P Chaudhary, was constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to examine the Bills in detail.
While parliamentary committee proceedings are privileged and not made public, Justice Lalit’s inputs are expected to play a significant role in shaping the final framework of the ONOE Bill.
FOLLOW US FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES ON YOUTUBE