New Delhi

Thejoint committee of Parliament examining the bills on simultaneous elections is working to create a mechanism that could make the 'One Nation, One Election' reform fully operational by the 2029 general elections, its chairperson said on Friday.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the panel's two-day meeting in Goa, JPC chairperson PP Chaudhary claimed that nearly 99 per cent of civil society stakeholders consulted so far have backed the proposal, which aims to curb an estimated Rs 7 lakh crore economic loss caused by frequentpolls. The committee began its deliberations in Goa on the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, with an interaction with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and members of his cabinet, seeking their views on the challenges involved in implementing simultaneous elections and ways to address them. "We had an informal interaction with the chief minister and cabinet ministers, who represent the people of Goa. We discussed how 'One Nation, One Election' can be implemented, what challenges exist and how they can be mitigated while maintaining a fine balance acceptable to all," Chaudhary said. Continued on Page 7