‘One nation, one poll’: Kovind panel recommends three-tier simultaneous polls in two phases

New Delhi, Mar 14 (PTI) A high-level panel on Thursday recommended simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and state assemblies as the first step followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days in its report on ‘one nation, one election’ submitted to President Droupadi Murmu.

Simultaneous polls will spur development and social cohesion, deepen “foundations of democratic rubric” and help realise the aspirations of “India, that is Bharat”, the panel headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind said in its report that runs into into more than 18,000 pages.

The committee recommended that fresh elections could be held to constitute a new Lok Sabha in the event of a hung House or a no-confidence motion, or any such event.

Where fresh elections are held for the House of the People (Lok Sabha), the tenure of the House will be “only for the unexpired (remaining) term of the immediately preceding full term of the House”, it said.

When fresh elections are held for state legislative assemblies, then such new assemblies — unless sooner dissolved — shall continue up to the end of the full term of the Lok Sabha.

To bring into force such a mechanism, Article 83 (duration of Houses of Parliament) and Article 172 (duration of state legislatures) need to be amended, the committee said.

“This Constitutional amendment will not need ratification by the states,” the committee said.

The panel also recommended preparation of a common electoral roll and voter ID cards by the Election Commission of India in consultation with state election authorities.

It said Article 325 dealing with voters’ list may be suitably amended for the purpose.

At present, the ECI is responsible for Lok Sabha and assembly polls, while local body polls for municipalities and panchayats are managed by state election commissions.

The panel recommended several constitutional amendments, most of which will not need ratification by states.

“Now, several elections are being held every year. This casts a huge burden on the government, businesses, workers, courts, political parties, candidates contesting elections, and civil society at large,” the panel said.

It said the government must develop a “legally tenable mechanism” to restore the cycle of simultaneous elections.

An official statement said the committee crafted its recommendations in such a way that they are in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution and would require bare minimum amendments to the Constitution.

Kovind was accompanied by other panel members, including Home Minister Amit Shah, former Finance Commission chairman N K Singh, former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash Kashyap, former leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, when he went to submit the report to the president at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The report is an outcome of extensive consultations with stakeholders, experts and research work of 191 days, since its constitution on September 2, 2023, a statement said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been supporting the idea of simultaneous polls, saying the concept of ‘one nation, one election’ is imperative to make the country great.