New Delhi: The Law Commission is gearing up to present its comprehensive roadmap on the 'One Nation, One Election' initiative to the committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind. This development comes as the Kovind panel prepares to release its own report on the proposal for simultaneous polls. Sources have confirmed that the two bodies are scheduled to meet on Wednesday to discuss this significant electoral reform.
Also read: Law Commission to decide on One Nation One Election today
Chaired by Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, the Law Commission concluded its report on the 'one nation, one election' plan earlier this month. In its forthcoming meeting with the Kovind panel, the Commission is anticipated to lend its support to the idea of synchronised elections and recommend specific timelines for the upcoming electoral cycles.
The Kovind panel, instituted by the government on September 2, embarked on its journey with an inaugural meeting on September 23. During this session, it resolved to extend invitations to recognised national and regional political parties, state government-affiliated parties, and those with parliamentary representation, soliciting their input on the matter.
This high-level committee, composed of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, also took the decision to enlist the participation of the Law Commission of India to solicit its insights and viewpoints concerning the issue of simultaneous elections across the nation, as announced by the Law Ministry.
The committee's overarching mission, conducted under the leadership of former President Kovind, is to explore avenues to harmonise Lok Sabha, Assembly, and local body elections in the best interests of the nation. It is noteworthy that the BJP has consistently advocated for simultaneous elections, incorporating this commitment into its party manifestos in both 2014 and 2019. Furthermore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has underscored the necessity of synchronised polls on multiple occasions.
The Law Commission, under the stewardship of Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, will reconvene on Wednesday to further deliberate on the feasibility of implementing 'One Nation, One Election' for both parliamentary and state assembly elections. The Commission has been diligently crafting a comprehensive report outlining its recommendations to facilitate concurrent elections, playing an instrumental role in shaping the national discourse on this subject.
Just a few days after the official notification, Home Minister Amit Shah and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal met with former President Ram Nath Kovind to deliberate on the agenda before the full committee convened. The committee comprises seven additional members, including former Finance Commission Chairman N. K. Singh, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash C. Kashyap, senior advocate Harish Salve, and former Central Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari.
