The Joint Parliamentary Committee tasked with reviewing the One Nation, One Election Bills has canceled its planned visit to the Supreme Court, originally set for October 6. This decision comes shortly after an agenda was shared among committee members indicating an informal discussion with the Chief Justice of India and other Supreme Court judges regarding simultaneous elections.
On Thursday evening, the Lok Sabha Secretariat notified committee members of the cancellation of the “Local Study Visit” to the Supreme Court, without providing a specific reason.
Committee chairman and BJP MP P P Chaudhary clarified that the visit was intended solely for familiarization purposes. He noted that some members had never been to the Supreme Court and that the tour was not meant for discussing the proposed legislation. “The study visit was designed to introduce committee members to the Supreme Court, including its library. The visit has been postponed due to scheduling conflicts with other programs,” Chaudhary explained to The Indian Express.
A recent agenda circulated among members characterized the visit as an opportunity for an “informal discussion with the Honourable Chief Justice of India and other honourable judges of the Supreme Court of India on the issue of simultaneous elections.”
It has been reported that some Opposition MPs on the committee could not participate in the October 6 event because the INDIA bloc has planned a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on the same day.
Earlier on Thursday, Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal raised concerns about the proposed interaction, arguing that it undermined the principle of separation of powers. He pointed out that if the legislation were to be passed, it would likely be subject to constitutional review by the Supreme Court. “Parliament is responsible for debating and passing Bills. Once a Bill is passed, it is up to the court to determine its constitutionality. I’ve never heard of a parliamentary committee meeting at the Supreme Court to explain the details of a Bill to the court,” Sibal stated at a press conference.
He further criticized the implication that the government would inform Supreme Court judges of the merits of a law that may soon face constitutional challenges, labeling such actions as unconstitutional and contrary to the separation of powers doctrine.
During its review of the Bills, the committee has previously heard from several former Chief Justices of India, including Justice U U Lalit, Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice J S Khehar, and Justice D Y Chandrachud, who provided expert opinions. Justice Lalit, who addressed the panel in February 2025, cautioned that significantly reducing the tenure of state Assemblies could lead to legal challenges and proposed a gradual transition to simultaneous elections.
Justices Khehar and Chandrachud, who spoke to the committee in July 2025, indicated that while simultaneous elections might not inherently violate the Constitution’s basic structure, certain provisions could face constitutional scrutiny, particularly those empowering the Election Commission.
The 39-member committee, led by Chaudhary, a former Union Minister of State for Law, is reviewing the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024. These legislative proposals stem from recommendations made by a high-level committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
The Constitution amendment Bill aims to create a framework for synchronizing elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. It seeks to introduce a new Article 82A, which would align the terms of Assemblies elected after a designated date with that of the Lok Sabha. In cases of premature dissolution of either the Lok Sabha or an Assembly, the newly elected body would serve only the remainder of the five-year term, thereby maintaining a unified electoral schedule.
The BJP has endorsed the concept of simultaneous elections, arguing that frequent elections incur significant costs, trigger the Model Code of Conduct repeatedly, and distract from governance. However, several Opposition parties have voiced their opposition to the proposal, citing concerns regarding its effects on federalism and parliamentary democracy, particularly how it may shorten the tenure of elected state Assemblies to align them with Lok Sabha election cycles.
Damini Nath serves as an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express’s national bureau, focusing on housing, urban affairs, and the Election Commission. With over a decade of experience in journalism, she previously reported for The Hindu, covering topics related to culture, social justice, and urban development.
