Former President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind who heads High-Level Committee (HLC) on 'One Nation, One Election' presented the report on simultaneous elections in the country to President Droupadi Murmu along with members of the HLC including Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, Minister of State (I/C) for Law and Justice Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad among others.
If the report further takes the form of reality, it would imply that India will hold elections to Lok Sabha, all the state assemblies, and local bodies i.e., municipalities and panchayats, together. At present, India witnesses over six elections each year, the number gallops if municipal and panchayat elections are also to be counted.
Here are five key take aways from the recommendations
1) Single electoral roll and electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC)
Ramnath Kovind led panel has recommended for use of Single electoral roll and electoral Photo Identity Cards in elections to all three tiers of the government.
2) Two-step approach for holding simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies.
The panel recommended that in the first step simultaneous elections can be held for Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. After that the in the second step, elections to Municipalities and Panchayats can be held within 100 days.
3) Solution for hung House
As per the report, in case of hung house,no-confidence motion will constitute the new House and fresh elections will be held for the remainder of the five-year term.
4) Constitution Amendment Bill
A constitutional Amendment Bill will have to be introduced in the Parliament amending Article 83 (Duration of Houses of Parliament) and Article 172 (Duration of State Legislatures). This Constitutional Amendment will not seed ratification by the States, the report said.
5) Execution
Panel recommends for constitution of a special team to oversee the execution of the recommendations
It all started in 2014
The BJP has been strongly pitching the idea of one nation one poll since it came to power in 2014. In 2017, the idea got support from The NITI Aayog that serves as the apex public policy think tank of the Government of India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again had publicly expressed his strong recommendation for converting the thought of holding simultaneous elections into a reality.
Are simultaneous elections a new concept for India?
If it becomes a reality, simultaneous elections won't be a first of its kind experience in India. The first four general elections adopted the strategy of simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The experts who are justifying the need for simultaneous elections say that it will reduce the pressure on the government exchequer and prevent misuse or disruption of government machinery.
The report was submitted after a lengthy series of discussions that the panel held over as many as 65 meetings at Jodhpur Officer's Hostel in New Delhi till March 10, 2024. After the rigorous exercise and homework, the report was submitted to President Droupadi Murmu, pitching for simultaneous polls across the country, on Thursday.
