Panel To Study 'One Nation, One Election' Formed Ahead of Special Parliament Session

The government has formed a committee on Friday led by former President Ram Nath Kovind to examine the feasibility of the 'one nation, one election' concept, according to sources cited by news agency PTI.

According to reports, Kovind will explore the feasibility of the exercise and the mechanism to see as to how the country can go back to having simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, as was the case till 1967.

He is expected to speak to experts and may also consult leaders of different political parties, they said.

The government's decision comes a day after it decided to call a special session of Parliament between September 18 and 22, the agenda for which is under wraps.

The term 'One Nation, One Election' pertains to the concept of holding simultaneous elections for both the Lok Sabha and various state assemblies. This concept has been proposed multiple times before and has undergone examination by the Law Commission of India.

Presently, elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies are typically conducted at the conclusion of their respective terms. This leads to two separate election cycles annually, each involving voting for different state assemblies. The One Nation, One Election proposal envisions holding elections for the Lok Sabha and all state assemblies within a single cycle, potentially on the same day.

Since assuming office in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a staunch advocate of the concept of simultaneous elections, encompassing elections at the local level. He has cited the financial strain imposed by the nearly continuous election cycle and the disruption it causes to development work during the electoral process as reasons for his support.

President Kovind, echoing Modi's stance, expressed his backing for the idea after assuming the presidency in 2017. In his address to Parliament in 2018, he remarked, ''Frequent elections not only place a significant burden on human resources but also hinder the development process due to the implementation of the model code of conduct.'' Like Modi, he called for a sustained deliberation and expressed optimism that all political parties would reach a consensus on this matter.

As the Modi government nears the end of its second term, there is a belief among its top leaders that it can no longer afford to delay action on this issue and must decisively demonstrate its commitment after years of debate.

Within the ruling BJP, which under Modi has consistently championed ambitious themes and significant policy initiatives to garner public support, this issue is also seen as politically advantageous and could catch the opposition off-guard, according to party leaders.

Five states - Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Rajasthan - are scheduled to hold assembly elections in November-December, followed by the Lok Sabha elections in May-June next year.

However, recent government actions have raised the possibility of advancing the general elections and some state elections that are scheduled to occur after and in conjunction with the Lok Sabha polls.

Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh assemblies are scheduled to go to the polls with the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP maintains positive relations with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik, even though they are not formally part of its alliance. The BJP holds power in Arunachal, while Sikkim is governed by an ally.

Maharashtra and Haryana, two states where the BJP is in power with coalition partners, and Jharkhand, governed by a JMM-Congress coalition, are slated to hold elections after the Lok Sabha contest.