Ram Nath Kovind, former president and head of the high-level committee on 'one nation, one election,' is actively engaging in discussions with former chief election commissioners and retired judges regarding the prospect of simultaneous elections in the country. This development follows the recent solicitation of public opinions by the committee on the issue.
In a meeting held on Wednesday, Kovind conferred with former Madras High Court chief justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari. Furthering the deliberations, an official statement on Thursday announced that the committee's chairman engaged in discussions with Justice Gorla Rohini, former chief justice of the Delhi High Court, and former Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra. Law Secretary Niten Chandra, also the secretary to the high-level committee, was present during the meeting with Chandra and Justice Rohini.
The consultation process is set to continue in the coming days, emphasizing the committee's commitment to gathering diverse perspectives. Notably, sources revealed that Chandra expressed support for the idea of simultaneous elections, emphasizing potential benefits such as improved governance, extended time for policy formulation and implementation, reduced public inconvenience, optimized human resource utilization, and lowered costs associated with repeated polls.
The committee, established in September of the previous year, has already sought input from the general public and political parties. Eminent jurists, including former chief justices of the Supreme Court and high courts, constitutional experts, and former Chief Election Commissioners, have also been approached for their insights.
Having conducted two meetings, the committee has reached out to political parties, including six national parties, 33 state parties, and seven registered unrecognised parties. It has also considered the views of the Law Commission on simultaneous elections and may consult the commission again on the matter.
As outlined in its terms of reference, the committee aims to "examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections to the House of the People (Lok Sabha), State Legislative Assemblies, municipalities and panchayats." To achieve this, the committee will scrutinize existing constitutional and statutory provisions, suggesting specific amendments to relevant laws for the purpose of implementing simultaneous elections.
(With Agency Inputs)
ALSO READ | 'One nation, one election': 2nd meeting of Kovind-led committee on Oct 25
