New Delhi: The central government on Saturday issued a gazette notification announcing the committee to see whether India could hold parliamentary and state assembly elections simultaneously.
The 8-member committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind will check whether the amendments to the Constitution would need ratification by the states, according to the gazette notification by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice.
Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, ex-MP Ghulam Nabi Azad are in the panel on simultaneous polls that will analyse the impact of scenarios emerging from hung House, no-confidence motion or defection. Ex-secretary general of Lok Sabha Subhash C Kashyap is also on it while Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is a special invitee.
The other members include Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, N.K.Singh, Former Chairman, 15th Finance Commission, Senior Advocate Harish Salve, and Sanjay Kothari, Former Chief Vigilance Commissioner.
The high-level Committee will start functioning immediately and make recommendations at the earliest, the government said in the notification. The committee will examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha, assemblies, municipalities and panchayats.
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According to the Gazette notification, the terms of reference of the committee include:
- Examine and make recommendation for holding simultaneous elections to the House of the People (Lok Sabha), State Legislative Assemblies, Municipalities and Panchayats, keeping in view the existing framework under the Constitution of India and other statutory provisions, and for that purpose, examine and recommend specific amendments to the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and the rules made thereunder and any other law or rules which would require amendments for the purpose of holding simultaneous elections
- Examine and recommend, if the amendments to the Constitution would require ratification by the States.
- Analyse and recommend possible solution in a scenario of simultaneous elections emerging out of hung House, adoption of no-confidence motion, or defection or any such other event.
- Suggest a framework for synchronisation of elections and specifically, suggest the phases and time frame within which simultaneous elections may be held if they cannot be held in one go and also suggest any amendments to the Constitution and other laws in this regard and propose such rules that may be required in such circumstances.
- Recommend necessary safeguards for ensuring the continuity of the cycle of simultaneous elections and recommend necessary amendments to the Constitution, so that the cycle of simultaneous elections is not disturbed.
- Examine the logistics and manpower required, including EVMs, VVPATs, etc., for holding such simultaneous elections.
- Examine and recommend the modalities of use of a single electoral roll and electoral identity cards for identification of voters in elections to the House of the People (Lok Sabha), State Legislative Assemblies, Municipalities and Panchayats.
