The Election Commission of India (ECI) has told the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal that it would be ready to conduct simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections if given six months' advance notice, panel chairman P P Chaudhary said on Wednesday.
The proposal is currently being examined by the JPC, which is reviewing the constitutional, legal and administrative aspects of synchronising Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections.
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Speaking after the committee's consultations, Chaudhary said the panel would hear the Election Commission before finalising its recommendations on the proposed constitutional amendments.
"We will hear the Election Commission on how it plans to conduct 'One Nation One Election'. We will put our questions to it, and only after hearing its views will the committee recommend whether it is feasible or not," Chaudhary said.
He added that the poll panel had indicated simultaneous elections across the country would be feasible if it received six months' notice to make the necessary preparations.
Chaudhary also said that if Parliament passes the required legislation in 2028, the Election Commission believes the first simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections under the proposed framework could be held in 2029.
"The Election Commission believes that if Parliament passes the law in 2028, it can conduct 'One Nation One Election' from 2029," he said.
Describing the proposal as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision, Chaudhary said India had previously conducted simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections between 1954 and 1960 using ballot papers.
He also said constitutional experts who appeared before the committee had opined that the proposal did not violate the Constitution's basic structure, federalism or democracy.
"It is only a timetable for holding Lok Sabha and Assembly elections together. It does not curtail the powers or rights of the states," Chaudhary quoted the experts as saying.
Claiming broad public support for the proposal, Chaudhary said, "Almost 99 per cent of civil society and ordinary people are in favour of 'One Nation, One Election'. This is the will of the people."
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The Centre has argued that holding simultaneous elections would reduce the frequency of polls, lower election-related expenditure and minimise disruptions to governance caused by the repeated enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct.
The proposal, however, has drawn criticism from opposition parties and constitutional experts, who have raised concerns over its impact on India's federal structure and the practical challenges of aligning the terms of state assemblies with that of the Lok Sabha.
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