The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) reviewing the One Nation One Election (ONOE) Bill met with Vice-Chancellors and representatives from various National Law Universities (NLUs) in New Delhi. The focus was on receiving constitutional and procedural recommendations to enhance the proposed legislation. Representatives from NLUs in Lucknow, Patna, Odisha, Kochi, Jodhpur, Meghalaya, and Shimla participated in the detailed discussions.
A key suggestion from the consultation was to include a provision for a “constructive no-confidence motion.” This model, practiced in countries like Germany, Belgium, and Spain, aims to ensure political stability by requiring the Legislature to elect a successor while removing the incumbent, thus preventing instability.
Furthermore, the NLUs proposed technical and procedural safeguards to uphold democratic integrity, such as introducing stronger procedural protections, reviewing the Election Commission’s powers, and setting a statutory timeline for re-elections in unforeseen circumstances.
The JPC members raised various constitutional and legislative queries during the meeting, seeking clarity on the practicality, implementation challenges, and long-term effects of the proposed amendments. The committee requested the NLU representatives to collaborate on a draft addressing these concerns to refine and strengthen the proposed changes.
