Kovind-led high-level committee submits report for 'One Nation, One Election' to President

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been pitching for simultaneous elections across the country since 2014 and 2019.

The high-level committee, headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, presented its report on 'One Nation, One Election' to President Droupadi Murmu today. The report is on the feasibility of holding simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and local bodies nationwide.

Kovind was joined by fellow panel members, including Home Minister Amit Shah, former Finance Commission chairman N K Singh, former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash Kashyap, former leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, as they presented the report to the president at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The Kovind Panel 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 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 said.

The Kovind panel also suggested proactive planning for equipment, personnel, and security forces to facilitate the organization of simultaneous elections.

The report, spanning 18,626 pages, was presented to President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. It was the culmination of 191 days of consultations with stakeholders, experts, and research since the committee's formation on September 2, 2023.

In September 2023, news agency ANI reported that the law commission aims to synchronize and implement the provision of One Nation One Election for India's election process by the 2029 Lok Sabha Elections.

The committee that was set up in September last year was tasked with examining and recommending simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities, and panchayats, keeping in view the existing constitutional framework.

The committee was tasked with examining the potential impact of synchronized elections on various aspects such as governance, administration, political stability, expenditure, and voter participation. Additionally, the committee is responsible for formulating recommendations and presenting a comprehensive report outlining the pros and cons of the idea.

Previously, different parliamentary standing committees such as the Niti Aayog and the Law Commission have expressed concern over the increasing expenses of holding multiple elections while also flagging possible constitutional and legal problems. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been pitching for simultaneous elections across the country since 2014 and 2019. However, for this to come into effect, at least five articles in the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act would need to be amended.

On February 20, the BJP supported the idea and told the Kovind-led panel that changes in India's election laws should be made through consensus and that the repeated invocation of the model code of conduct hurts governance and fosters corruption. Apart from the BJP, other parties such as the Janata Dal (United), Shiv Sena, have also backed the idea of simultaneous polls.