'One nation, one election': Ram Nath Kovind panel puts forward recommendations in its report

The panel headed by former Indian President Ram Nath Kovind submitted a report on the concept of 'one nation, one poll' to President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday (Mar 14). This high-level committee proposed significant amendments to at least five articles of the Constitution to facilitate synchronised elections across the country, encompassing 18,626 pages of analysis and recommendations.

Established in September 2023, the Kovind-led committee was tasked with examining the feasibility of simultaneous elections at various levels of governance, including the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities, and panchayats.

Over the course of its tenure, the committee engaged in consultations with stakeholders, conducted thorough research and compiled its findings since its inception on September 2the previous year.

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What are the recommendations?

The recommendations put forth by the Kovind panel outline a phased approach to implementing simultaneous elections, suggesting that Lok Sabha and state assembly elections could be held concurrently in the initial phase, followed by local body elections within 100 days thereafter.

Moreover, in instances of a hung House or a no-confidence motion, the panel proposed the possibility of conducting fresh polls to complete the remainder of the five-year term.

To facilitate the first round of synchronised polls, the committee proposed aligning the tenure of all state assemblies with the subsequent Lok Sabha elections.

Additionally, it suggested that the Election Commission collaborate with state electoral authorities to consolidate electoral rolls and issue voter ID cards for elections at various levels of governance.

In anticipation of the logistical challenges associated with simultaneous elections, the Kovind-led committee recommended bolstering infrastructure, manpower, and security forces to ensure the smooth conduct of the electoral process.

The submission of the committee's report coincides with the imminent announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by India's election commission.

The committee comprised Home Minister Amit Shah, former leader of the opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former Finance Commission chairman N K Singh, among others.

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Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a high-level meeting to finalise the appointment of two new election commissioners. However, the Supreme Court agreed to hear petitions challenging the appointment process under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, which excluded the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel.

(With inputs from agencies)