New Delhi: The Centre's push for 'One Nation, One Poll' got a leg-up with the Ram Nath Kovind-led panel submitting a report on simultaneous polls to President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday. The panel further said that simultaneous polls for Lok Sabha assemblies can be held in the first step, followed by local body polls within 100 days in the second step.
The report comprises 18,626 pages and is the outcome of extensive consultations with stakeholders, experts, and research work over 191 days since its constitution on September 2, 2023.
The committee submitted the report in the presence of all committee members including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief Gulam Nabi Azad among others.
The high-level committee also met with representatives of several Political parties including BJP, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, CPI, CPI(M), AIMIM, RPI, Apna Dal etc., who have handed over their suggestions in writing to the committee.
The panel relating to the holding of simultaneous elections in the country has initiated a consultation process under the chairmanship of Ram Nath Kovind, former President of India. It recently also sought public opinion regarding the one nation, one election issue.
The public notice issued stated, "Notice for inviting suggestions from members of the general public for making appropriate changes in the existing legal administrative framework to enable simultaneous elections in the country." The central government in September last year constituted a high-level Committee to examine the issue of 'One Nation, One Election' and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections in the country.
The central idea behind 'One Nation One Election' is to synchronize the timing of Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections across all States to reduce the frequency of polls throughout the country. This concept was the practice till 1967, but it was disrupted due to various reasons such as defections, dismissals, and dissolutions of government. (With ANI Inputs)
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