Ram Nath Kovind-led Panel Submits Report To President Droupadi Murmu

The high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind submitted the report on ‘One Nation, One Election’ to President Draupadi Murmu on Thursday at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.

In the report, the panel has favoured holding simultaneous polls.

Other panel members were also present in the meeting, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, 15th Finance Commission Chairperson NK Singh, and former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash C. Kashyap.

The report submitted to President Draupadi Murmu by the panel consisted of 18,626 pages. It also stated that the study is the result of 191 days of research and intensive engagements with experts and stakeholders since its formation on September 2, 2023.

According to the Hindustan Times, the panel has recommended holding simultaneous polls in 2029 and talking about “procedural and logistical” concerns.

According to PTI, the panel also suggested holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and assembly first, followed by local body elections within 100 days. The report states that all state assemblies may serve out their terms for the first simultaneous polls up until the next Lok Sabha elections. It further stated that if there is a hung House or a no-confidence motion, authorities may schedule new elections for the remainder of the five-year term.

A committee member stated that the report contains a document on the economic sustainability of simultaneous polls written by NK Singh and Prachi Mishra of the International Monetary Fund. To get their opinions and learn more about the issue, the committee has been consulting with political parties, constitutional experts, the electoral commission, former chief election commissioners, and other pertinent parties.

Related: Nayab Singh Saini to Become New Haryana CM