GUWAHATI: The High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections, chaired by Ram Nath Kovind, former President of India, presented its 18,626-page report to President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on March 14. The report, compiled after 191 days of consultations, aims to address the challenges posed by asynchronous elections in India.
The report, a culmination of research and discussions with stakeholders, experts, and policymakers, proposes significant constitutional amendments to enable the implementation of simultaneous elections, popularly known as "One Nation, One Election."
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Key FAQs answered in the report shed light on the concept of simultaneous elections, historical context, the necessity of synchronicity, and international best practices. Notably, the report emphasises the financial burden of frequent elections, instability caused by asynchronous polls, disruption to governance, and the fatigue experienced by voters.
The committee, comprising prominent figures such as Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs, and Ghulam Nabi Azad, Former Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha, recommends amendments to the Constitution in two phases. Firstly, simultaneous elections for the House of the People and State Legislative Assemblies would be held without requiring ratification by the states. Subsequently, elections to Municipalities and Panchayats would be synchronised with national and state elections, subject to ratification by at least half of the states.
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Furthermore, the report suggests streamlining logistical preparations, empowering the Election Commission of India to prepare a single electoral roll and electoral photo identity cards (EPIC) for all tiers of government, and addressing scenarios of a hung house or no-confidence motions. Out of 21,558 responses received from the public, 80% supported the idea of simultaneous elections.
The report can be accessed on the dedicated website onoe.gov.in/HLC-Report.
