New Delhi:
A high-level panel led by former president Ram Nath Kovind submitted its report on ‘One Nation, One Election’ on Thursday.

Here are the panel’s top ten recommendations

New Delhi:

The High-Level Committee on ‘One Nation One Election’ led by former President Ram Nath Kovind in its report recommended that in the events of a hung Assembly or hung Parliament, or a no-confidence motion constitutes the new House, fresh elections may be held for the remainder of the five-year term.

Where fresh elections are held for the House of the People, the tenure of the House of the People will be only for the unexpired term of the immediately preceding full term of the House of the People and the expiration of this period shall operate as a dissolution of the House, the committee recommended.

The High Committe panel also recommended that elections to the Municipalities and the Panchayats be synchronised with the House of the People. Simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha, assemblies can be held in the first step, followed by local body polls within 100 days in the second step. This will require ratification by not less than one-half of the States.

Upon all-inclusive deliberations, the Committee concludes that its recommendations will significantly enhance the transparency, inclusivity, ease and confidence of the voters.

Overwhelming support for holding simultaneous elections will spur the development process and social cohesion, deepen the foundations of our democratic rubric, and realise the aspirations of India, that is Bharat, the committee said.

Former president Kovid-led Committee earlier today called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan and submitted its report on the ‘One Nation One Election’.

The 18,626 pages long report is an outcome of extensive consultations with stakeholders, experts and research work over 191 days, since its constitution on September 2, 2023.

Other members of the Committee are Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Cooperation, Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, NK Singh, former Chairman, of the 15th Finance Commission, Subhash C Kashyap, former Secretary General, Lok Sabha, Harish Salve, Senior Advocate, and Sanjay Kothari, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner. Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Law and Justice was a Special Invitee and Dr Niten Chandra was the Secretary of the high level panel.

The Committee held extensive consultations to understand the views of different stakeholders. Forty-seven political parties submitted their views and suggestions, out of which 32 supported simultaneous elections. Many political parties had extensive discussions with the High level committee on this matter.

In response to a public notice published in newspapers in all the States and Union territories, 21,558 responses were received from citizens from all over India. 80 per cent of the respondents supported simultaneous elections.

Experts on law such as four former Chief Justices of India and 12 former Chief Justices of major High Courts, four former Chief Election Commissioners of India, eight State Election Commissioners, and the Chairman of the Law Commission of India were invited by the Committee for interaction in person. The views of the Election Commission of India were also sought.

Apex business organizations like the CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM and eminent economists were also consulted to present their views on the economic repercussions of asynchronous elections.

They advocated the economic imperative of simultaneous elections on account of the effect of asynchronous elections on fuelling inflation and slowing down the economy.

The Committee was briefed by these bodies that intermittent elections had adverse consequences on economic growth, quality of public expenditure, and educational and other outcomes, besides upsetting social harmony.

The central government in September last year constituted a high-level Committee to examine the issue of ‘One Nation, One Election’ and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections in the country.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Srinagar:

The National Conference, the Peoples Democratic Party, the Congress, and Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party have called for simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which is under President’s Rule and has not had a state poll for six years now.

This comes amid reports the Election Commission of India – a poll panel team began its two-day visit Monday to review prep work before announcing dates – is considering such a move.

The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and that of Ladakh, will hold a general election for its six Lok Sabha seats in April/May and is expected to hold Assembly polls – the first step in restoration of statehood – by September 30, as ordered by the Supreme Court.

READ | In Historic J&K Ruling, Supreme Court Sets Election Deadline

Senior NC leader Nasir Sogami and former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad – part of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ commission set up by the government to explore that possibility – have spoken out, with the latter claiming “people are more concerned about Assembly polls”.

“I am in favour of simultaneous elections in J&K .I want elections by midnight. The people of J&K are more concerned about assembly elections than parliament elections,” Mr Azad said.

Mr Azad is likely to contest the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary seat, which is currently held by Hasnain Masoodi of the National Conference. The seat has traditionally flipped between the Peoples Democratic Party of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and the NC.

“I’m not ruling out contesting from Anantnag-Rajouri parliament constituency. Lots of people are asking me to contest. Demand of my being in Parliament is more,” he told NDTV.

Mr Sogami – who spoke to NDTV after the NC met a team from the Election Commission of India – said the NC had also demanded simultaneous elections in the union territory.

“This (simultaneous polls) is also in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of ‘One Nation, One Election’,” he said, adding the NC had also said state polls are long overdue.

The National Conference also demanded a level playing field for both polls.

On Monday the poll panel team, led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, met representatives from political parties. The ECI has already met Union Home Ministry officials.

The centre has already sanctioned the deployment of 600 paramilitary companies to ensure the safe conduct of elections in J&K; this is in addition to sizeable existing security set-ups.

A BJP delegation also met the poll panel team, and said the party is ready for Assembly polls. However, the party left announcement of dates to the discretion of the Election Commission.

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

New Delhi:

 The Law Commission may submit its report on simultaneous polls to the government next week in which it could recommend adding a new chapter to the Constitution on ‘one nation, one election’ and holding the gigantic democratic exercise for Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies across the country by mid-2029.

According to sources, the Commission, under Justice (retd) Ritu Raj Awasthi, would recommend an amendment to the Constitution to add the “new chapter or part” on simultaneous elections.

The panel would also recommend synchronising the terms of legislative assemblies in “three phases” in the next five years so that the first simultaneous polls could be held in May-June 2029 when elections for the 19th Lok Sabha are due, they said.

The new chapter in the Constitution would include issues related to “simultaneous election”, “sustainability of simultaneous elections” and “common electoral roll” for Lok Sabha, state legislative assemblies, panchayats and municipalities so that the three-tier simultaneous polls could be held together “in one go”, the sources explained.

The new chapter being recommended will have power of non-extant” to override other provisions in the Constitution dealing with terms of assemblies.

The five-year period in which the terms of assemblies will be synchronised will be spread over three phases. The Commission would recommend that the first phase may deal with state assemblies whose period will have to be curtailed by a few months — three or six months.

In case a government falls due to no confidence or if there is a hung House, the Commission would recommend constitution of a “unity government” with representatives from various political parties.

In case the unity government formula does not work, the law panel would recommend holding fresh elections for the remainder of the term of the House.

“Suppose fresh elections are called for and the government still has three years, then polls should be for the remainder of the term — three years — to ensure sustainability,” a source explained.

Besides the Law Commission, a high-level committee under former president Ram Nath Kovind is also working on a report on how simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha, state legislative assemblies, municipalities and panchayats can be held by tweaking the Constitution and the existing legal framework.

It is likely to incorporate recommendation of the law panel in its report.

Along with the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, expected in April-May this year, elections for at least four assemblies are likely to take place, while state polls for Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand are expected later this year.

Bihar and Delhi are scheduled for assembly polls next year, while Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala are scheduled for 2026, and Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Manipur in 2027.

As many as nine states may have assembly polls scheduled for 2028 — Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Karnataka, Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The high-level committee on ‘one nation, one election’ headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday reviewed the progress made by it since it was set up in September last, an official statement said.

The committee at its meeting on Saturday “reviewed its various activities”, the statement said.

The panel has been reviewing the progress made by it since it was set up in September last year.

The committee is mandated to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities and panchayats keeping in view the existing constitutional framework.

While the ruling BJP and other parties, including the Shiv Sena and the Janata Dal (United), have supported the concept of simultaneous polls, the opposition parties, including the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), have rejected the idea.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Former president Ram Nath Kovind, chairperson of the High Level Committee (HLC) on One Nation One Election, being greeted by a delegation of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) before the fifth meeting of the committee, in Jodhpur, on Feb. 3, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Expressing its support to simultaneous elections that would synchronize the electoral cycles at the central and state levels, industry body CII said ‘One Nation One Election’ would enhance governance efficiency, and foster economic development.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) presented its views to the High-Level Committee on One Nation One Election (ONOE) on Friday. The High Level Committee on One Nation One Election, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind held its fifth meeting.

“CII’s view was based on the economic benefits of streamlining the electoral process, that would enhance governance efficiency, and foster economic development,” the industry body stated.

It argued that asynchronous multiple elections lead to frequent disruption in policy making and administration, leading to uncertainty about the government’s policies.

“It also affects the working of the Government due to its officials being roped in for election duties. Investment decisions by the private sector tend to slow down prior to the elections,” said CII.

“Further, it leads to delays in project implementation, as the Model Code of Conduct gets imposed,” it added.

The industry body emphasised that simultaneous elections, thus, offer a propitious solution by effectively reducing the project implementation delays and a likely cost savings of approximately half the total expenses incurred by the Central and State governments in administering elections.

Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII, said, “In view of both the economic losses and the slowdown in policy-making CII suggests that India should revert to cycle of simultaneous elections.”

“CII believes there are two options of doing this ‘one is a single five-year cycle and the other is a two-stage simultaneous election with a gap of at least 2.5 years between the Lok Sabha elections and the state elections in the interim period”.

New Delhi:

Former President Ram Nath Kovind today chaired the first meeting of the high-level committee formed to examine the government’s ‘One Nation One Election’ push to hold simultaneous national, state and panchayat elections across the country.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former Lok Sabha Secretary General Subhash C Kashyap, former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, and other committee members attended the meeting.

Earlier, Mr Shah and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghawal held a meeting with Mr Kovind to decide the agenda for today’s meeting.

Besides national and state elections, the committee will also look into local body elections and make recommendations to the government over the framework and time-limit within which the elections can be held.

The government had notified the eight-member committee on September 2 to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections at all levels.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had earlier declined to be part of the committee saying the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge was excluded from the panel whereas Mr Azad, a former Congress leader, was included.

Until 1967, elections used to be held simultaneously across the country and four elections were held in this manner. The practice stopped with some state assemblies being dissolved prematurely in 1968-69. The Lok Sabha too was dissolved a year ahead of its schedule in 1970 – a first in its history.

Simultaneous elections were part of the BJP’s manifesto for the 2014 elections.

New Delhi:

The BJP has been demanding for “one nation, one election” for a long time and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also supported this call, Union Minister Anurag Thakur told NDTV today.

Mr Thakur’s comment comes a day after the government released key details of the eight-member committee, led by former President Ram Nath Kovind, to see whether elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies can be held simultaneously.

“What is the problem in holding simultaneous elections? If elections are held simultaneously, it will save time, money and the government can use the saved time to work for the poor, for the development of the nation,” Mr Thakur, the Information and Broadcasting Minister, told NDTV.

Mr Thakur dismissed the Opposition’s criticism over the government calling a special session of parliament from September 18 to 22, saying the government has every right to call such a session.

“In fact they should be happy the government has called a parliament session. It is a democratic exercise,” Mr Thakur said. He said the “one nation, one nation” committee has members of the Opposition too so that they can give their views.

“But they have left. They don’t believe in discussions. They only make noise on the streets, just make allegations and run away. Remember how many days of the monsoon session (of parliament) they had wasted?” Mr Thakur said.

He said the Opposition made similar allegations when the government was working to bring the goods and services tax (GST) regime, a kind of “one nation, one tax”.

“Earlier, collecting Rs 90,000 crore was a difficult task. Today, we collect Rs 1.60 lakh crore. This money has been used on developing infrastructure, building homes and toilets for the poor, free vaccines, new airports, new medical colleges, more AIIMS…” the Union Minister said.

The leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has declined to be part of the eight-member committee.

In a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah, who is also part of the committee, Mr Chowdhury pointed out that Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge “has been excluded” from the committee, and instead they took former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.

“This is a deliberate insult to the system of parliamentary democracy,” Mr Chowdhury said in the letter.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi today said the idea of ‘one nation, one election’ is an attack on the Indian Union and all its states.

The nine-member committee will check whether the amendments to the Constitution would need ratification by the states, according to the government’s gazette notification today.

The committee will analyse and recommend possible solutions linked to simultaneous elections if there is a hung house, no-confidence motion, defection, or any such other event.

A single electoral roll and identity card for voters valid for the national, state, civic body and panchayat elections will be explored, the government said in the notification.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury declines to join ‘one nation, one election’ panel

The Union Law Ministry on Saturday named eight members to the committee, headed by the former President Ram Nath Kovind, that will examine the issue of simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, Assemblies, municipalities and panchayats.

No Question Hour, private members business during September 18-22 special session of Parliament

A session of both Houses of Parliament will be held from September 18-22 without Question Hour or private members’ business, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha secretariats said on September 2. The session will have five sittings and members will be informed about the provisional calendar separately, the secretariats said.

Systematic attempt to sabotage Indian democracy: Congress

Hours after the Law Ministry announced the composition of the eight-member committee set up to examine the possibility of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the Assemblies, the Congress not only declined to be part of it but also questioned the exclusion of the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Rajya Sabha and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

PM Modi can’t order an inquiry against Adani, Rahul Gandhi alleges in Chhattisgarh

Asserting that Congress-run States are ruled by “governments of poor people” instead of being “governments of Adani”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi can never order any inquiry against the Adani Group as it “will not put the Adani Group in trouble but someone else”.

INDIA bloc makes additional appointments to newly formed panels for 2024 election

The Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on Saturday made some additional appointments to some of the committees that were set up at its meeting in Mumbai on Friday. The names of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and Congress leader Pawan Khera were added to the working group for media, while Dayanidhi Maran of the DMK and Rohit Jakhad of the RLD find a place in the working group for social media.

ASI seeks more time to complete Gyanvapi survey

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Saturday sought eight more weeks to submit its report on the scientific survey being conducted at the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi. The Varanasi District Court had asked the ASI to submit the report in four weeks, which ended on September 2. In an application, counsel for the ASI said the survey would take more time as a lot of trash and debris were dumped in the cellars as well as around the structure, covering the original features of the structure.

Three-fourths of India’s irrigation sources run on electricity: study

The latest edition of the Minor Irrigation Census (MIC) — a compendium of borewells, tubewells, and other privately owned irrigation sources by farmers — finds that electricity is the dominant source of power to extract water, over diesel, windmills, and solar pumps. While the use of electricity showed a quantum jump from powering only 56% of sources in 2011 to 70% in 2017, the latest report, made public last week, shows electricity as powering 76% of sources – a slower growth rate.

Imphal’s remaining Kuki families allege forcible eviction

The last of the Kuki-Zo people, who had stayed put in Imphal after ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, said they were forcibly evicted from their homes by security forces in the early hours on September 2. A source in the defence forces said the families were provided safe passage from New Lambulane in Imphal East to Motbung in Senapati district on a special request by the civil administration. The source said the tribal people had stayed there for a long period and had become “vulnerable targets”.

Tamils caught in the crossfire in strife-torn Manipur

With 45 Tamil homes and shops burnt down in Moreh, a town in Tengnoupal district bordering Myanmar, according to government officials, the strong trader community is under pressure to support the fight financially, or leave. “If I give them money, my Meitei friends will see it as support to their enemy. I can’t take sides. They are both my friends,” he adds. The houses and shops caught fire as they were adjacent to Meitei properties and were not burnt intentionally.

G-20 Sherpas to sit for final round of pre-summit negotiations

As Sherpas of all G-20 countries arrived in New Delhi ahead of the final week of negotiations for the summit next weekend, India’s G-20 Sherpa said he was “confident” of consensus on economic issues. Meanwhile, government sources sought to play down the impact that the absence of at least three leaders including Presidents of Russia, China and Mexico will have on the summit’s outcomes.

India to be part of implementation of Zelenskyy’s peace formula: envoy

India will be part of the implementation of the 10-point peace formula proposed by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the details are being discussed, Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksandr Polishchuk has said. Mr. Polishchuk welcomed Indian students to continue their education in that country stating that the Ukrainian government had shifted educational institutions to safer areas.

Thailand’s king approves a new Cabinet more than 3 months after elections

Thailand’s King has formally endorsed members of a new Cabinet, paving the way for a government headed by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to take office more than three months after the general election. Mr. Srettha, representing the Pheu Thai party, was named Prime Minister by Parliament on August 22. A prominent real estate developer until officially entering politics last year, he will also hold the Finance Minister’s post.

Nobel Foundation cancels Russian ambassador invite to prize ceremony

The Nobel Foundation said on Saturday it was reversing its decision to invite Ambassadors from Russia and Belarus to this year’s Nobel award ceremony in Stockholm, after the move sparked a backlash. In 2022, the Nobel Foundation, which organises the annual Nobel prize ceremony and banquet in Stockholm, decided not to invite the Russian and Belarusian Ambassadors to the Stockholm award event because of the war in Ukraine.

Rival Eritrean groups clash in Israel, leaving dozens hurt in worst confrontation in recent memory

Hundreds of Eritrean government supporters and opponents clashed with each other and with Israeli police Saturday, leaving dozens injured in one of the most violent street confrontations among African asylum seekers and migrants in Tel Aviv in recent memory. Among those hurt were 30 police officers and three protesters hit by police fire.

Asia Cup 2023 | Kishan, Hardik and Pakistan pacers shine on a day when the rain has the final say

Two standout batters. Three pacers spewing venom. And three rain interruptions. All of it culminated in one big disappointment for the scores of fans who flocked the Pallekele International Stadium for the high-voltage Asia Cup clash between India and Pakistan.

Tata Steel Chess: Divya Deshmukh emerges as the queen in her own fairytale

Divya Deshmukh’s fairytale at the National Library had quite a fairytale ending on a wet Saturday evening. She got to play in India’s Tata Steel Chess India tournament only because R. Vaishali pulled out at almost the last minute. And she began as the 10th seed in a field of 10 in the women’s rapid section. She finished right at the top, though. The 17-year-old from Nagpur authored one of the most remarkable stories — and there have been many — in Indian chess of late to become the champion.

New Delhi:

The leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has declined to be part of the eight-member committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind to see whether India could hold parliamentary and state assembly elections simultaneously.

In a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah, who is also part of the committee, Mr Chowdhury pointed out that Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge “has been excluded” from the committee, and instead they took former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.

“This is a deliberate insult to the system of parliamentary democracy,” Mr Chowdhury said in the letter.

The other members of the committee are former 15th Finance Commission chairman NK Singh, former Lok Sabha Secretary General  Subhash C Kashyap, senior advocate Harish Salve, and former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari.

The committee will look into the feasibility of holding not only Lok Sabha and assembly elections simultaneously, but also elections to municipalities and panchayats, according to the gazette notification.

“I have no hesitation whatsoever in declining to serve on the committee whose terms of reference have been prepared in a manner to guarantee its conclusions. It is, I am afraid, a total eyewash. Moreover, the sudden attempt to thrust a constitutionally suspect, pragmatically non-feasible and logistically unimplementable idea on the nation, months before the general elections, raises serious concerns about ulterior motives of the government,” the Congress leader said in the letter.

“Furthermore, I find that the current LOP in the Rajya Sabha has been excluded. This is a deliberate insult to the system of parliamentary democracy. In these circumstances, I have no option but to decline your invitation,” Mr Chowdhury said.

The nine-member committee will check whether the amendments to the Constitution would need ratification by the states, according to the government’s gazette notification today.

The committee will analyse and recommend possible solutions linked to simultaneous elections if there is a hung house, no-confidence motion, defection, or any such other event.

A single electoral roll and identity card for voters valid for the national, state, civic body and panchayat elections will be explored, the government said in the notification.

The BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have spoken on the need for ‘One Nation, One Election’ on several occasions, and it was also a part of the party’s manifesto for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.