Chidambaram opposes One Nation One Election

On August 24, 2026, former Union Minister P. Chidambaram appeared before the joint parliamentary committee examining the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which propose simultaneous elections to the India — Lok Sabha and state assemblies under the 'One Nation, One Election' framework. Chidambaram strongly opposed the bills, calling them 'unconstitutional', 'monstrous', and a 'mindless' exercise. He argued that curtailing the five-year tenure of legislatures violates the basic structure of the Constitution and stated that the government lacks the required two-thirds majority to pass the legislation. TMC member Sagarika Ghose also opposed the bills, warning of 'unbridled' power for the Election Commission. The committee, chaired by BJP MP P. P. Chaudhary, also heard from about ten Padma awardees, including Tarlochan Singh, Navin Khanna, Meenakshi Jain, and Niru Kumar, with mixed views on the proposal. Chaudhary defended the initiative, asserting it does not violate the basic structure and noted the committee would consider all inputs. The bills were introduced in December 2024 and referred to the committee after a high-level panel headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind recommended simultaneous elections.