The Law Ministry is planning to place the report of the high-level committee on ‘One Nation, One Election’ before the Union Cabinet “at the earliest”, sources said on Friday (June 14). The placing of the report before the Cabinet is part of the 100-day agenda of the Legislative Department in the law ministry, they added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, before the general elections, had directed all union ministries and departments to draw up a 100-day agenda for the next government.
The committee on the ‘One Nation, One Election’, headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind, had submitted its report to President Droupadi Murmu on March 15 this year, recommending simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha, state Assemblies. The panel had also proposed to set up an ‘Implementation Group’ to look into the execution of the recommendations.
Recommendations of the panel
Simultaneous polls will help save resources, spur development and social cohesion, deepen "foundations of democratic rubric" and help realise the aspirations of "India, that is Bharat", the panel had said.
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The panel had also recommended the preparation of a common electoral roll and voter ID cards by the Election Commission in consultation with the state election authorities. 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 had recommended 18 constitutional amendments, most of which will not need ratification by state assemblies. However, these would require certain Constitution amendment bills that would need to be passed by Parliament.
At least half of the states would need to ratify some proposed changes regarding the single electoral roll and single voter ID card.
Law Commission’s report likely soon
Separately, the Law Commission is also likely to come up soon with its own report on simultaneous polls.
According to sources, the Law Commission is likely to recommend holding simultaneous polls for all three tiers of the government – Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies like municipalities and panchayats – starting 2029, and a provision for unity government in cases like hung house or no-confidence motion.
(With PTI inputs)
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