Chidambaram Rejects 2029 Timeline for ‘One Nation, One Election’

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Tuesday rejected the possibility of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies in 2029, contradicting the view of Joint Parliamentary Committee chairman P.P. Chaudhary. He also announced that the Congress and other Opposition parties would launch a nationwide campaign against the proposed legislation.

Chidambaram said Chaudhary’s claim that simultaneous elections could be held in 2029 was inconsistent with the provisions of the proposed Bills. He argued that the “appointed date” under the legislation could only be fixed after a general election, making the 2029 Lok Sabha polls unsuitable as the starting point for simultaneous elections.

“The next general election will take place in 2029. Hence, simultaneous elections are not possible in 2029,” Chidambaram said in a post on X, describing this as a “blessing”.

The former Union minister made the remarks a day after Chaudhary said the ‘One Nation, One Election’ plan could be implemented in 2029 if the Constitution were amended and state governments supported the move.

Chidambaram, who appeared before the 31-member JPC on Monday, said he had strongly opposed the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024. He termed the proposal a “constitutional monstrosity”, arguing that it undermines parliamentary democracy and federalism.

Sources said Chidambaram also contended that curtailing the five-year tenure of an elected legislature would violate the basic structure of the Constitution. He reportedly questioned the government’s ability to secure the required two-thirds majority in Parliament.

The Bills were introduced in Lok Sabha in December 2024 after a high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind recommended simultaneous elections.

India previously held Lok Sabha and assembly elections together from 1951-52 to 1967. The cycle was disrupted after premature dissolutions of several state assemblies and the Lok Sabha, eventually leading to the staggered election schedule followed today.