Simultaneous poll panel likely to consult Attorney General, ex-Delhi HC chief justice
PTI March 24, 2025 10:43 PM
Synopsis

Attorney General R Venkatramani and Justice D N Patel will present their views on simultaneous election bills to a parliamentary committee. The committee, which is extending its tenure to gather more expert opinions, has already consulted former Chief Justices Lalit and Gogoi, among others. Opposition members are challenging the constitutionality of the bill proposing simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

Representative image.
Attorney General R Venkatramani and Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal Chairman Justice D N Patel, a former Delhi High Court chief justice, are likely to express their views on Tuesday on the simultaneous election bills before a parliamentary committee, sources said. The Lok Sabha is likely to extend the tenure of the committee, which was asked to submit its report on the first day of last week of Parliament ongoing session scheduled to end on April 4, in a day or two as the panel headed by BJP MP P P Chaudhary will need more time to finish its work, they said.

The panel is currently in the process of consulting legal experts and Venkatramani and Patel will appear before it as part of its exercise to seek views from experts of law and Constitution before it moves on to hearing out other stakeholders.

Former Supreme Court chief justices U U Lalit and Ranjan Gogoi, noted jurist Harish Salve and former Delhi High Court chief justice A P Shah are among those who have so far appeared before the panel and answered to the questions from its members on a full range of issues concerning the proposed law.

Opposition members have mostly stuck to quizzing them on the constitutionality of the constitutional amendment bill that envisages simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls as they seek to poke holes in the government's rationale for the moves.

The committee currently has 38 members excluding two special invitees.
© Copyright @2025 LIDEA. All Rights Reserved.