Ram Nath Kovind Announces First 'One Nation, One Election' Committee Meeting on September 23

Former President Ram Nath Kovind announced on Saturday that the inaugural meeting of the 'One Nation, One Election' committee, tasked with examining and providing recommendations for synchronized elections across Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities, and panchayats, is scheduled to take place on September 23. The formation of this committee was initiated by the Central government on September 2, with Kovind appointed as its head. Kovind shared this information with the media while he was in Bhubaneswar to attend the convocation ceremony of a private university.

The primary objective of the committee is to analyze and propose potential scenarios for simultaneous elections, such as dealing with a hung assembly or addressing a no-confidence motion. Additionally, the committee will suggest a comprehensive framework and a specific timeline within which these synchronized elections can be conducted.

The committee comprises eight members, including prominent figures such as Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, former leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, former chairman of the 15th Finance Commission NK Singh, former Lok Sabha general secretary Subash Kashyap, senior advocate Harish Salve, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari, and Minister of State (Law) Arjun Ram Meghwal, who will attend meetings as a special invitee.

The concept of 'One Nation, One Election' gained prominence when the Central government called a special session of Parliament from September 18 to 22, although no specific reason was cited for this session. Historically, India conducted simultaneous elections for state assemblies and Lok Sabha until 1970. However, in 1968 and 1969, some legislative assemblies were dissolved, and in 1970, the Lok Sabha was dissolved, leading to changes in electoral schedules.

Prime Minister Modi has been advocating for the idea of simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections since taking office. In 2017, then-President Kovind also expressed support for the concept. During his address in Parliament in 2018, Kovind highlighted that frequent elections not only impose a significant burden on human resources but also hinder the development process due to the promulgation of the model code of conduct.