One Nation, One Election: Kovind Panel's Recommendations; All You Need To Know

Ram Nath Kovind panel, which was tasked to explore the necessities and needs of having 'One Nation, One Election' process, recommended several constitutional amendments for the same, while most of which will not need ratification by states. At present, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is responsible for Lok Sabha and assembly polls, while local body polls for municipalities and panchayats are managed by state election commissions. According to the panel, the report is an outcome of extensive consultations with stakeholders, experts and research work of 191 days, since its constitution on September 2, 2023. Read on to know all the eleven recommendations made by the panel.

Hyderabad: A high-level committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind Thursday recommended simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha (House of People) and State Assemblies as the first step followed by synchronised local body polls within the next 100 days.

In its report submitted to President Droupadi Murmu that ran into over 18,000 pages, the Ram Nath Kovind panel said simultaneous polls will spur development process and social cohesion, deepen foundations of democratic rubric and help realise aspirations of "India, that is Bharat".

The panel also recommended preparation of a common electoral roll and voter ID cards by the Election Commission of India in consultation with state election authorities.

Here is the full text of all the 11 recommendations made by the panel:

1. After examination of all relevant evidences, including the macroeconomic analysis, the Committee finds that the loss of simultaneity in elections after the first two decades of India’s independence has had a baneful effect on the economy, polity and society. Initially, two elections were held every ten years. Now, several elections are being held every year. This casts a huge burden on the Government, businesses, workers, Courts, political parties, candidates contesting elections, and civil society at large. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the Government must develop a legally tenable mechanism in order to restore the cycle of simultaneous elections.
   (In short - Multiple elections impair development and economy and simultaneous elections is the key to avoid those ills.)
2. The Committee recommends that in the first step, simultaneous elections to the House of the People and the State Legislative Assemblies be held. In the second step, the elections to Municipalities and Panchayats will be synchronized with the House of the People and State Legislative Assemblies in such a way that elections to Municipalities and Panchayats are held within a hundred days of the holding of elections of the House of the People and the State Legislative Assemblies.
   (In short - The recommendation lays out a three-tier simultaneous polls plan to conducted in two phases. First phase to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. Second to the civic bodies within the next 100 days from the previous phase.)
3. For the purpose of synchronisation of elections to the House of the People and State Legislative Assemblies, the Committee recommends that the President of India may, by notification, issued on the date of the first sitting of the House of the People after a General election, bring into force the provision of this Article, and that date of the notification shall be called the Appointed date.
   (In short - The Appointed date will be a one-time measure to synch the elections by way of Presidential Notification announcing the first date of the sitting of Lok Sabha.)
4. The tenure of all State Legislative Assemblies, constituted by elections to the State Legislative Assemblies after the Appointed date and before the expiry of the full term of the House of the People, shall be only for the period ending up to the subsequent General elections to the House of the People. Thereafter, all General elections to the House of the People and all State Legislative Assemblies shall be held together simultaneously.
   (In short - The Appointed date will be the cut-off date for the State Assemblies as whichever goes to polls after the said date will have its tenure trimmed to synch with the Lok Sabha tenure.)
5. The Committee also recommends that an Implementation Group may be constituted which shall look into the execution of the recommendations given by the Committee.
6. The Committee recommends introduction of Article 324A for enabling simultaneous elections in Panchayats and Municipalities with the General elections of the House of the People and the State Legislative Assemblies and amendment in Article 325 for enabling Single Electoral Roll and Single Elector’s Photo Identity Card, which shall be prepared by the Election Commission of India in consultation with the State Election Commission(s) and the same will substitute any other electoral roll prepared by Election Commission of India under Article 325 or State Election Commission(s) under Articles 243K and 243ZA of the Constitution of India. Since these amendments touch upon State subjects (Entry 5) of Schedule VII, Part IX, and Part IX A of the Constitution of India, ratification by the States will be required under Article 368(2) of the Constitution of India. However, implementing step one, which is simultaneous elections to House of the People and State Legislative Assemblies, does not necessitate ratification by the States.
   (In short - A Constitution amendment will have to enable publishing of a lone electoral roll which can be used for the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha, States Assemblies and local bodies.)
7. The Committee recommends that in the event of a hung House, noconfidence motion, or any such event, fresh elections may be held to constitute the new House. Where fresh elections are held for the House of the People, the tenure of the House of the People will be only for the unexpired term of the immediately preceding full term of the House of the People and the expiration of this period shall operate as a dissolution of the House. Where fresh elections are held for the State Legislative Assemblies, then such new Legislative Assembly unless sooner dissolved, shall continue upto the end of the full term of the House of the People. A Constitution Amendment Bill will have to be introduced in the Parliament amending Article 83 (Duration of Houses of Parliament) and Article 172 (Duration of State Legislatures). This Constitutional Amendment will not need ratification by the States.
   (In short - Tenures of State Assemblies which go for midterm polls in case of a hung Assembly or losing majority or any such event will be limited to the actual tenure of full term or five years of the corresponding Lok Sabha.)
8. The Committee recommends that in the first stage, simultaneous elections to the House of the People and the State Legislative Assemblies be held. In the second stage, the elections to Municipalities and Panchayats will be synchronized with House of People and State Legislative Assemblies in such a way that Municipalities and Panchayat elections are held within hundred days of the holding of elections of the House of the People and the State Legislative Assemblies.
   (In short - The three-tier synchronisation of elections in two stages is mooted. As discussed earlier, the first stage will see Lok Sabha and State Assemblies going to polls and the local bodies in the following 100 days in the next stage.)
9. The Committee recommends that in the event of a hung House, noconfidence motion, or any such event, fresh elections may be held to constitute the new House. Where fresh elections are held for the House of the People, the tenure of the House of the People will be only for the unexpired term of the immediately preceding full term of the House of the People and the expiration of this period shall operate as a dissolution of the House. Where fresh elections are held for the State Legislative Assemblies, then such new Legislative Assemblies unless sooner dissolved, shall continue up to the end of the full term of the House of the People. A Constitution Amendment Bill would need to be introduced in the Parliament amending Article 83 (Duration of Houses of Parliament) and Article 172 (Duration of State Legislatures). This Constitutional Amendment will not need ratification by the States.
   (In short - Two Constitution Amendments related to tenure of the Lok Sabha and State Legislatures are mooted for the implementation of recommendation no. 7.)
10. The Committee recommends that for making logistical arrangements for the conduct of simultaneous elections to the House of the People and State Legislative Assemblies, the Election Commission of India (ECI) may draw a plan and estimate in advance for the procurement of equipment, such as EVMs and VVPATs, deployment of polling personnel and security forces, and make other necessary arrangements. Similarly, for the elections to Municipalities and Panchayats, State Election Commission(s), in consultation with the Election Commission of India, may draw a plan and estimate in advance for the procurement of equipment, such as EVMs and VVPATs, deployment of polling personnel and security forces, and make other necessary arrangements.
    (In short - The recommendation gives a heads-up to the ECI to draft a plan to gear up in terms of equipment and polling personnel for the proposed simultaneous elections.)
11. The Committee recommends that for the purpose of having a Single Electoral Roll and Single Elector’s Photo Identity Card for elections for the House of the People, the State Legislative Assemblies, the Municipalities, and the Panchayats, Article 325 may be suitably amended to the effect that the Election Commission of India shall make the Electoral Roll and Elector’s Photo Identity Card in consultation with the State Election Commission(s). The Electoral Roll and Elector’s Photo Identity Card(EPIC) prepared under this shall substitute any Electoral Roll and Elector’s Photo Identity Card prepared earlier by either the Election Commission under Art 325 or the State Election Commissions under Art. 243K and Art. 243ZA of the Constitution. This amendment will require ratification by the States.
    (In short - The recommendation proposes Constitutional Amendment to bring out a single national electoral roll and an EPIC to supersede any such roll or card prepared earlier.)

CONCLUSION-

"Upon all-inclusive deliberations the Committee concludes that its recommendations will significantly enhance transparency, inclusivity, ease and confidence of the voters. Overwhelming support for holding simultaneous elections will spur development process and social cohesion, deepen the foundations of our democratic rubric, and realise the aspirations of India, that is Bharat," the report concluded.