Srinagar, Sep 02: Former chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir and Chairman Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), Ghulam Nabi Azad was on Saturday appointed as a member of a high-level committee constituted by the Government of India (GoI) to examine the subject of simultaneous elections.
The Union Ministry of Law & Justice constituted a high-level committee under the chairmanship of former president Ram Nath Kovind to examine the issue of holding simultaneous elections.
Azad has been appointed as a member of the panel for being the former leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha, a local news agency KNO reported.
Other members of the committee include Amit Shah (Union Minister for Home Affairs & Cooperatives), Adhir Ranjan Choudhary (leader of the single largest party in Lok Sabha), N.K. Singh (former chairman 15th Finance Commission), Dr. Subash Kashyap(former secretary general, Lok Sabha), Harish Salve (senior advocate), and Sanjay Kothari (former Chief Vigilance Commissioner).
As per the order, the committee is instructed to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, Municipalities, and Panchayats, keeping in view the existing framework under the Constitution of India and other statutory provisions, and for that purpose, examine and recommend specific amendments to the Constitution, Representation of Peoples Act and the rules made there under and any other law or rules which would require amendments for the purpose of holding simultaneous elections.
The committee is instructed to also examine and recommend if the amendments to the Constitution would require ratification by states.
The Central government on Friday announced the setting up of a high-level panel to study the proposal of ‘one nation, one election’. Former president Ram Nath Kovind will head the panel and submit a report on the proposal.
The ‘One Nation, One Election’ bill, which proposes the simultaneous holding of Lok Sabha elections and state Assembly elections, may be introduced during Parliament’s special session scheduled from September 18 to 22, according to sources.
Currently, these elections are typically held at different times, resulting in multiple election cycles each year. The ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal aims to conduct all elections within a single cycle, possibly on the same day.
