Delhi CM Rekha Gupta offers: Can cut House term for simultaneous polls

4 min readNew DelhiJul 2, 2026 05:30 AM IST

P P Chaudhary, chairperson of Parliamentary panel on joint polls, with Delhi CM Rekha Gupta in New Delhi, Wednesday. (ANI)

Describing the concept of One Nation One Election as “the need of the hour”, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta Wednesday told the Joint Committee of Parliament on Bills relating to simultaneous elections that her government would be willing to consider adjusting the tenure of the Delhi Assembly to align with that of the Lok Sabha. She pointed to cutting short the Assembly’s term which currently ends eight months after that of Lok Sabha.

The committee, chaired by BJP MP P P Chaudhary, conducted a study visit in the Capital, meeting the Chief Minister at the Delhi Secretariat, Speaker Vijender Gupta and representatives of parties at the Assembly and Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu at Lok Niwas.

In a statement, the Chief Minister’s Office said: “Referring to Delhi, she (Gupta)  pointed out that elections in the national Capital are held roughly a year apart from the Lok Sabha elections. If aligning election schedules at the national level requires a suitable adjustment in Delhi’s tenure, the Delhi Government is willing to consider it with a positive approach. If required in the national interest, she said, Delhi could be among the leading states to extend such cooperation.”

The next Lok Sabha elections are likely in April-June 2029, as the term of the House ends on June 23, 2029, while the Delhi Assembly’s term ends on February 23, 2030.

Since its formation in December 2024, the committee has held consultations with stakeholders in Delhi and visited several states.

Reached for comment, Chaudhary said the meetings Wednesday were productive. “We have asked the Chief Secretary to prepare a report on the impact of frequent elections on different sectors like education and labour,” he said.

While the Bills in their current form provide for the first simultaneous elections in 2034 by cutting short the terms of all Assemblies elected after the Lok Sabha elections of 2029, Chaudhary, speaking at the Idea Exchange programme of  The Indian Express recently, that if some states want, they can curtail the terms of their Assemblies to align with the 2029 elections too.

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According to the CMO statement, the Chief Minister said One Nation One Election was the need of the hour.

A statement from the Assembly Secretariat said Speaker Vijender Gupta made suggestions to the committee during their meeting, including conducting a “comprehensive examination of issues relating to the synchronisation of electoral cycles, constructive votes of no-confidence, premature dissolution of legislatures, harmonisation of electoral rolls, strengthening the logistical preparedness of the Election Commission, and institutional mechanisms to ensure political stability while preserving India’s democratic and federal character.”

It is learnt that during the meeting with the Speaker and MLAs, it was suggested to create a national forum with representation from each Legislative Assembly of the country to discuss the way forward and the need to extend the provisions of One Nation One Election to Rajya Sabha and municipal body elections.

A source said, “The Speaker made two out-of-the-box suggestions with repercussions on national legislative practice and procedure. These included the creation of a forum, similar to the Goods and Services Tax Council, to provide a common platform to representatives from legislative bodies across the country for the airing, discussion and final resolution of disagreements and disputes related to the implementation of ONOE.”

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“The Speaker also sought to underline that for the initiative to truly live up to its expectations, there was a need to sync the general election with municipal and Rajya Sabha polls; other suggestions related to the conduct of elected representatives were also discussed during the meeting,” the source said.

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Damini Nath is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. She covers the housing and urban affairs and Election Commission beats. She has 11 years of experience as a reporter and sub-editor. Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she was a reporter with The Hindu’s national bureau covering culture, social justice, housing and urban affairs and the Election Commission.

Expertise

Key Coverage Areas: Damini Nath currently specializes in reporting on two crucial beats:

Housing and Urban Affairs: Providing in-depth analysis and reporting on India's urban development, policy, and housing issues.

Election Commission (EC): Offering authoritative coverage of electoral processes, policies, and the functioning of India's constitutional body responsible for conducting elections.

Professional Background: Her extensive experience includes roles as a reporter and sub-editor, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the journalistic process from fieldwork to final production.

Previous Role: Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she served as a dedicated reporter with The Hindu’s national bureau, where her reporting portfolio included:

Culture

Social Justice

Housing and Urban Affairs

The Election Commission beat (a consistent area of focus).

Trustworthiness

Damini Nath's decade-plus career at two of India's most respected and authoritative news institutions, The Indian Express and The Hindu, underscores her commitment to factual, impartial, and high-quality reporting, establishing her as a trusted and credible source for news on urban governance and electoral matters. ... Read More

Jatin Anand is an Assistant Editor with the national political bureau of The Indian Express. With over 16 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is a seasoned expert in national governance, electoral politics, and bureaucratic affairs. Having covered high-stakes beats including the Election Commission of India (ECI), intelligence, and urban development, Jatin provides authoritative analysis of the forces shaping Indian democracy. He is an alumnus of Zakir Husain Delhi College (DU) and the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, where he specialized in Print Journalism.

Expertise

High-Stakes Beat Coverage: Throughout his decade-and-a-half career, Jatin has covered some of the most sensitive and influential beats in the country, including:

The Election Commission of India (ECI): Monitoring electoral policy, reforms, and the conduct of national and state polls.

National Security & Intelligence: Reporting on the internal mechanisms and developments within India's security apparatus.

Urban Development: Analyzing the policies and bureaucratic processes driving the transformation of India’s cities.

National Political Bureau: In his current role, he tracks the intersection of policy and politics, offering deep-dive reporting on the Union government and national political movements.

Academic Credentials:

Zakir Husain Delhi College (DU): Alumnus of one of Delhi's premier institutions.

Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai: Specialized in Print Journalism at India's most prestigious journalism school. ... Read More

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