'One Nation, One Election': High-level panel recommends simultaneous LS, Assemblies, local bodies' polls in 2 phases

A high-level panel, headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, which was set up to examine the possibility of ‘One Nation, One Election’ on Thursday recommended simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies as the first step.

- VINAY KUMAR

The second step would be synchronised local body polls within 100 days, the panel said in its voluminous report on ‘One Nation, One Election’ which was submitted to President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

Simultaneous polls will spur development and social cohesion, deepen “foundations of democratic rubric” and help realise the aspirations of “India, that is Bharat”, the Kovind panel said in its report running into more than 18,000 pages.

The committee recommended that fresh elections could be held to constitute a new Lok Sabha in the event of a hung House or a no-confidence motion, or any such event. Where fresh elections are held for the House of the People (Lok Sabha), the tenure of the House will be “only for the unexpired (remaining) term of the immediately preceding full term of the House, it said.

When fresh elections are held for state legislative Assemblies, then such new Assemblies unless sooner dissolved - shall continue up to the end of the full term of the Lok Sabha.

To bring into force such a mechanism, Article 83 (duration of Houses of Parliament) and Article 172 (duration of state legislatures) need to be amended, the committee said.

"This Constitutional amendment will not need ratification by the states," it said.

The panel also recommended preparation of a common electoral roll and voter ID cards by the Election Commission of India in consultation with state election authorities. It said Article 325 dealing with voters' list may be suitably amended for the purpose.