The proposed meeting between the Joint Parliamentary Committee examining ‘One Nation, One Election’ and judges of the Supreme Court will not take place, according to sources.

The Committee had proposed an October 6 meeting with the Chief Justice of India and other Supreme Court judges for what it described as “informal discussions” on the issue of simultaneous elections. However, according to sources cited by LiveLaw, the Supreme Court has declined the proposal.

The development came on the same day that Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal criticised the proposed interaction at a press conference, arguing that such a meeting would raise concerns regarding the separation of powers. Sibal also stated that such a meeting had not taken place in the country's history.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee, headed by BJP MP P.P. Chaudhary, is examining the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which seek to provide a constitutional and legislative framework for holding simultaneous elections.

As part of its examination, the Committee has been consulting political parties, legislators, constitutional experts and other stakeholders. It has also stated that it consulted former Chief Justices of India, former Supreme Court judges and other legal experts on the constitutional implications of simultaneous elections.