The Union Cupboard on Thursday accredited the “One Nation, One Election” invoice, which goals to conduct simultaneous elections throughout the nation. A high-level committee, led by former president Ram Nath Kovind, had made suggestions on simultaneous elections, which have been accepted by the Cupboard in September.
The invoice handed within the ongoing winter Session of Parliament that started on November 25 and can run until December 20. On September 2, 2023, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central authorities established a Excessive-Stage Committee to look at the feasibility of holding simultaneous elections in India.
In at present’s high-level panel on “One Nation, One Election” there are the highest 10 suggestions have been made on simultaneous polls:
1. The federal government should develop a legally-tenable mechanism with a purpose to restore the cycle of simultaneous elections.
2. Within the first stage, elections for the Lok Sabha and all state legislative assemblies might be held collectively.
3. Within the second step, the elections to municipalities and panchayats will likely be synchronised with the Lok Sabha and state assemblies in such a means that the polls to municipalities and panchayats are held inside 100 days of the holding of the parliamentary and Meeting elections.
4. For the aim of synchronising the Lok Sabha and Meeting elections, the president shall notify the date of the primary sitting of the Lok Sabha after a normal election because the “appointed date”.
5. The tenure of all state assemblies fashioned by way of polls after the “appointed date” and earlier than the expiry of the complete time period of the Lok Sabha will solely be for the interval ending as much as the next parliamentary polls. After this one-time transitory measure, all Lok Sabha and Meeting polls will likely be held concurrently.
6. Contemporary elections may very well be held to represent a brand new Lok Sabha within the occasion of a hung Home or a no-confidence movement or any such occasion.
7. The place contemporary elections are held for the Home of the Folks (Lok Sabha), the tenure of the Home will likely be “just for the unexpired (remaining) time period of the instantly previous full time period of the Home”.
8. When contemporary elections are held for state legislative assemblies, then such new assemblies — except sooner dissolved — shall proceed as much as the tip of the complete time period of the Lok Sabha.
9. A single electoral roll and elector’s picture identification card (EPIC) shall be ready by the Election Fee (EC) in session with the state election commissions and the identical will substitute another electoral roll ready by the EC.
10. For making logistical preparations for the conduct of simultaneous elections, the EC could draw up a plan and estimate upfront for the procurement of kit, similar to EVMs and VVPATs, deployment of polling personnel and safety forces and make different mandatory preparations.
(With PTI Inputs)
