- The panel will examine possibilities of holding simultaneous polls
- Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will attend the meetings of the committee as a special invitee
- After the rise of regional parties like Dravidian parties-DMK and AIADMK- in Tamil Nadu in 1967, 1972, the national parties have lost hold in this southern state
NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, SEPT 12
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been batting for ‘One Nation, One Election’ since 2019. He had raised this issue in the Independence Day speech in 2019 and in 2022 also. But there was no taker for this suggestion. Incidentally, till 1967, both Lok Sabha and Assembly polls were held simultaneously. Owing to political compulsions, this practice was discontinued.
After the rise of regional parties like Dravidian parties-DMK and AIADMK- in Tamil Nadu in 1967, 1972, the national parties have lost hold in this southern state. Curiously, Both Congress and BJP have been fighting Lok Sabha polls in alliance with either one of the parties. Similarly, Bal Thakeray was calling the shots in Maharashtra.
The government has formed an eight-member high level committee to explore the possibility of conducting simultaneous polls across the country and suggest changes to the Constitution for the same. A government notification issued on Saturday said the panel will be headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind.
Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and former MP Ghulam Nabi Azad are members of the committee.
Jurist Harish Salve, former CVC Sanjay Kothari and ex-chairman of finance commission NK Singh, former secretary general of Lok Sabha Subhash C. Kashyap are the other members of the panel.
Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will attend the meetings of the committee as a special invitee.
As per the official notification, the panel will examine the possibilities of and make recommendations for holding simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities and panchayats.
The committee will examine and recommend specific amendments to the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act and any other laws and rules which would require amendments for the purpose of holding simultaneous elections.
The panel will study if any amendments to the Constitution would require ratification by the states and will also analyse the impact of scenarios emerging from hung House, no-confidence motion or defection.
The high level committee will start functioning immediately and make recommendations at earliest, the notification said.
The government has already called a special session of Parliament between September 18 and 22, though the agenda for which is under wraps.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP have been vigorously pushing for the ‘One Nation, One Election’ idea over the years and the latest move comes just months ahead of the crucial assembly elections in five states.
The Lok Sabha elections are also due in May-June next year.
