Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Manish Tewari are expected to represent Congress on the parliamentary panel that will examine two bills proposing simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections, sources said Tuesday.
Kalyan Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and P. Wilson of the DMK are also likely to be part of the committee.
The BJP, which will have the largest number of representatives on the panel, has not yet disclosed its nominees, but MPs Ravi Shankar Prasad and Anurag Thakur are likely to be considered. Other BJP allies, such as Shrikant Shinde from Shiv Sena and Sanjay Jha from JD(U), may also join the panel. The committee will consist of 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.
Sukhdeo Bhagat and Randeep Surjewala are other Congress picks for the panel, while Saket Gokhale from TMC and TM Selvaganapathi from DMK are also expected to be included. PP Chaudhary is another potential BJP nominee.
The Speaker of the Lok Sabha will finalise the names and appoint the chairperson of the panel. The government plans to move a motion in the Lok Sabha to send the bills to the joint committee after most parties have submitted their choices.
The bills, which include a constitutional amendment, were introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday following a heated debate. Opposition parties have criticised the bills, claiming they undermine federalism, a charge rejected by the government.
In defence of the bills, BJP and its allies, including TDP, JD(U), and Shiv Sena, argue that simultaneous elections will reduce election costs and facilitate development by minimising disruptions caused by frequent elections.