Amit Shah, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury part of panel on ‘One Nation, One Election’
NEW DELHI,SEPT 2 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury are among eight others on the panel, headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, formed to examine the possibility of ‘One Nation, One Election’.
Other members of the panel are Democratic Progressive Azad Party president, Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission, NK Singh, former Secretary General of Lok Sabha, Subhash Kashyap, senior advocate, Harish Salve, and former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari.
On Friday, the government formed a committee to explore the possibility of a ‘One Nation One Election’ that aims at holding general and state elections simultaneously.
The move came a day after an India Today report said that the government may introduce a ‘One Nation, One Election’ bill in the special session of Parliament, scheduled to be held from September 18 to 22.
The setting up of the panel opens up the possibility of Lok Sabha polls being advanced so that they could be held with a string of assembly elections to be held later this year.
Sources said that Ram Nath Kovind is expected to speak to experts and may also consult leaders of different political parties regarding the issue.
The panel will also explore the possibility of the exercise and the mechanism to see how the country can go back to having simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, as was the case till 1967.
WHAT WILL THE PANEL DO?
The panel will suggest solutions to different issues, like when no single party emerges as the clear winner in Parliament, or during a no-confidence motion when people want to remove the government, or when politicians switch sides during elections.
The panel will also examine and recommend specific amendments to the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act and any other laws and rules which would require amendments for the purpose of holding simultaneous elections.
WHAT IS ‘ONE NATION, ONE ELECTION’?
The idea of ‘One Nation, One Election’ refers to holding simultaneous elections across the country.
This means that elections for the Lok Sabha and all state assemblies across India will be held simultaneously — with voting presumably taking place around the same time.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a strong proponent of the ‘One Nation One Election’ since coming to power in 2014, citing financial burden caused by the continuous election cycle and an obstacle to development work during polls.
Kovind, too, echoed Modi’s view and expressed his support for the idea after becoming President in 2017.
However, opposition leaders from the INDIA alliance did not welcome the idea of ‘One Nation, One Election’ and said the Centre was introducing this system as the BJP was “scared”.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Thursday said that the ‘One Nation, One Election’ bill cannot be passed without consultation from the stakeholders in elections.
“The government should consult stakeholders before taking a decision. It seems the government is scared and worried and trying to hold on to power in its last stages,” she said.
-PTI
