Former President Ram Nath Kovind, leading the committee on 'One Nation One Election,' submitted its report to incumbent President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday. The report advocates for electoral simultaneity, suggesting that consolidating elections will help save the economy and society from disruptions caused by frequent elections.
The Report comprises of 18,626 pages, and is an outcome of extensive consultations with stakeholders, experts and research work of 191 days, since its constitution on September 2, 2023.
Suggestions sought from various political parties
The committee, comprising Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief Gulam Nabi Azad, and other members, submitted its report in the presence of all members to President Droupadi Murmu. Recently, the committee also met and interacted with representatives from various political parties including BJP, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, CPI, CPI(M), AIMIM, RPI, Apna Dal, who provided their suggestions in writing.
Significance of 'one nation, one election'
The central government established the high-level Committee in September last year to explore the feasibility of 'one nation, one election' and proposed recommendations for simultaneous elections nationwide. The core objective of this initiative is to synchronize Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections across all states, reducing the frequency of polls across the country. This concept was previously practised until 1967 but faced disruptions due to factors such as defections, dismissals, and government dissolutions.
How many reports were referred to prepare final draft?
The committee went through as many as 11 reports before finalising its draft in the simultaneous elections.
Here is the list of reports:
- Indian Franchise Committee Report, 1932
- General Election, 1957 Report
- General Election, 1962 Report
- Election Commission of India First Annual Report, 1983
- 170th Report of Law Commission of India, 1999
- Report of National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution
- (NCRWC), 2002
- 255th Law Commission Report, 2015
- 79th Report of Parliamentary Standing Committee, 2015
- Working Paper of NITI Aayog, 2017
- Law Commission of India Draft Report, 2018
- Atlas by Election Commission of India, 2019
