New Delhi: Among those who opposed to the idea of 'one nation, one election' included three former High Court chief justices and one former state election commissioner, while four former Chief Election Commissioners and as many former Chief Justices of India were in support of holding simultaneous polls.
They put forth their objections during the consultations by a high-level committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind. The panel submitted its report to President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday, recommending simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and state assemblies as the first step followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days.
Four former CJIs supported holding simultaneous elections
According to the report, all four former Supreme Court chief justices -- Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde and Justice UU Lalit -- the panel consulted provided written responses, all of which were in favour of holding simultaneous elections.
Among the former chief justices of major HCs, nine supported simultaneous elections, highlighting their potential benefits while three raised concerns or objections. Former Delhi High Court chief justice Ajit Prakash Shah opposed the concept of simultaneous elections, noting it may curb democratic expression along with concerns about distorted voting patterns and state-level political alterations.
"Additionally, he said that simultaneous elections hinder political accountability, as fixed terms offer representatives unwarranted stability without performance scrutiny, challenging democratic principles," the report noted. Former Calcutta High chief justice Girish Chandra Gupta opposed simultaneous pols, saying the idea is not conducive to the principles of democracy.