‘One Nation, One Election’: Law Commission Chairman makes presentation before Kovind panel

Tribune News Service

Satya Prakash

New Delhi, October 25

The Law Commission on Wednesday shared its blueprint on holding simultaneous polls across India with the ‘High Level Committee on One Nation, One Election’ headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind and discussed the way forward on the contentious issue.

Law Commission Chairperson Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi made a detailed presentation before the Kovind panel and elaborated on the commission’s suggestions and viewpoints on simultaneous elections, sources said.

Accompanied by some Law Commission member Anand Paliwal and its Member Secretary Khetrabasi Biswal, Justice Awasthi also discussed the possible bottlenecks in holding simultaneous elections, sources said.

Mandated to explore the possibility of simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, state Legislative Assemblies, municipalities and panchayats across India—the Kovind-led panel had invited the Law Commission to seek its views on the contentious issue.

The Law Commission – which was in the process of finalising its report for submission – may be called again by the Kovind panel after it finalises its report, they added.

The Kovind panel’s second meeting was attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, former Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister of State for Law and Justice (Independent Charge) Arjun Ram Meghwal,, former Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission  NK Singh, former Lok Sabha Secretary General Subhash C. Kashyap, senior advocate Shri Harish Salve and former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari.

The Law Commission was of the view that Assembly and parliamentary polls could be held together and it’s only working out modalities for the smooth conduct of the gigantic democratic exercise, they said.

The high-level panel had in its first meeting on September 23 decided to seek views of political parties and sought an interaction with them on a “mutually agreed date” to elicit their views on synchronised polls across India. The parties had also been given an option of sending their views in writing in the next three months.

The Committee has sent letters to six national parties, 33 state parties and seven registered unrecognised parties inviting their suggestions on ‘One nation One Election’, the meeting was informed.

The panel’s websitewww.onoe.gov.in was also launched during its second meeting.  The website developed for the One Nation, One Election, which besides being a repository of all relevant information on the subject, shall provide a platform for interaction and receiving suggestions from all stakeholders.

The meeting also accepted the resignation of Leader of the single largest party in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Choudhury from the membership of the Kovind pane.

The Commission was working on a formula to synchronise all Assembly polls by extending or reducing the tenure so that these elections can be held along with Lok Sabha polls 2029 onwards.

The law panel was in the process of firming up its recommendations, including certain constitutional amendments needed to deal with issues such as a hung House and no-confidence motion to ensure smooth roll out of ‘One Nation, One Election’, sources privy to the deliberations said.

The law panel was working on a mechanism to ensure a common electoral roll for Lok Sabha, Assemblies and local bodies polls to ensure voters don’t have to visit polling booth again and again to cast their vote and to reduce cost and use of manpower for undertaking an identical exercise carried out by the Election Commission and state election commissions.

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