Amit Shah, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Among Panelists Examining ‘One Nation, One Election’

New Delhi: A committee, led by former President Ram Nath Kovind, has been formed to explore the feasibility of implementing ‘One Nation, One Election.’ The panel includes Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and several other prominent figures.

Other members of the committee include Ghulam Nabi Azad, President of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party, NK Singh, former Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission, Subhash Kashyap, former Secretary General of Lok Sabha, senior advocate Harish Salve, and former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari.

This initiative comes on the heels of reports suggesting that the government may introduce a ‘One Nation, One Election’ bill during the special session of Parliament scheduled from September 18 to 22.

The panel’s primary goal is to explore the possibility of conducting general and state elections simultaneously. This move may potentially advance Lok Sabha polls to coincide with upcoming assembly elections later this year.

The committee plans to engage with experts and consult leaders from various political parties to gather insights and perspectives on this issue. It also aims to examine the mechanisms necessary to reinstate simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections, a practice followed until 1967.

‘One Nation, One Election’ is a concept centred around holding synchronized elections throughout India. Under this framework, elections for the Lok Sabha and all state assemblies would occur concurrently, streamlining the electoral process. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a vocal advocate of this idea, citing the financial burden of frequent elections and their impact on development efforts.