News Brief
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Manish Tewari Among Congress Nominees To Joint Parliamentary Committee On 'One Nation, One Election' Bill: Report
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during her Maiden Speech in Lok Sabha (File Photo)
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Manish Tewari are reportedly set to be on the Congress' list of nominees to a joint parliamentary committee that will examine the 'one nation, one election' Constitution Amendment Bill, which was introduced in Parliament yesterday (17 December), NDTV reported citing sources.
Manish Tewari was among the first opposition leaders to voice concerns over the 'one nation, one election' bill after its introduction in the House.
He criticised the plan, stating it "directly challenges the federal nature of the country... by imposing uniformity across states".
Apart from Priyanka Gandhi and Tewari, the Congress, as the largest opposition party in Parliament, has included Randeep Surjewala and Sukhdeo Bhagat Singh on the committee.
Trinamool Congress, meanwhile, has nominated Saket Gokhale and Kalyan Banerjee.
Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena has chosen Anil Desai as its representative, while the faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will reportedly have his son, Shrikant Shinde, on the committee.
The committee can have a maximum of 31 MPs based on each party's Lok Sabha numbers.
Up to 10 members of the committee can be selected from the Rajya Sabha.
For instance, both Randeep Surjewala and Saket Gokhale represent the Upper House. The BJP will reportedly head the committee.
The committee is expected to engage in "wider consultations" with various stakeholders, including MPs not part of the committee and other legal and constitutional experts, such as former judges and lawyers.
Consultations may also include former officials of the Election Commission.
If the bill amending the Constitution and the 'one nation, one election' proposal are passed by Parliament and ratified by states, the Election Commission will face the monumental challenge of conducting simultaneous Lok Sabha and state elections.
