Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 18 said, ‘One Nation, One Election’ is a commitment of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and it has been reiterated in Parliament as well.
“One Nation, One Election is our commitment. We had formed a committee also, which has already submitted its report. Many people have come on board, who have given positive and innovative suggestions,” said Prime Minister Modi in an interview with the news gathering agency ANI.
Read: Kovind-led high-level committee submits report for 'One Nation, One Election' to President
Prime Minister Modi also mentioned that the country would benefit if his government implements the report on simultaneous elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party, in its poll manifesto released on April 14, has listed ‘One Nation, One Election’ as one of its key promises.
“We have set up a High Powered Committee to examine the issues of conducting simultaneous elections and will work towards the implementation of the recommendations of the Committee,” reads the manifesto of the party.
The BJP-led Centre had constituted a high-level committee led by former President of India Ram Nath Kovind on September 2, 2023. Home minister and BJP leader Amit Shah, former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, chairman of the 15th finance commission NK Singh, former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash C Kashyap, senior advocate Harish Salve, former chief vigilance commissioner Sanjay Kothari were its members.
Read more: One nation, one election to spur development, enhance transparency, says Kovind panel
The panel submitted 18,626-page report in March on feasibility of simultaneous elections to President Droupadi Murmu after extensive consultations. The Committee suggested that simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and assemblies could be conducted initially, with local body polls following within 100 days as a second step.
The Kovind-led panel also said that coordinated elections across all three levels of government aim to enhance the governance framework, aligning with the aspirations of an evolving India. “Simultaneous polls can help realise aspirations of ‘India, that is Bharat’,’ the panel added.
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