Simultaneous poll feasibility panel likely to meet formally next week
While the BJP-led NDA government has vociferously pushed for the roll-out of simultaneous polls, referred to as “One Nation, One Election” by Modi, opposition parties have criticised the suggestion
The first meeting of the newly formed panel to study the feasibility of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections is likely to be held next week.
Ahead of that, home minister Amit Shah and law minister Arjun Meghwal met Ram Nath Kovind, former president and head of the panel, which is looking into the feasibility of holding elections across India at the same time.
The former president’s office termed the visit ``a courtesy’’ meeting that lasted for about 45 minutes.
``Amit Shahji had not met (former) President Kovind after he took charge of this panel and so he and the law minister came and briefed him today,’’ an official, who asked not to be named, said.
As Kovind is travelling until September 12, the first meeting of the newly formed panel is likely to take place after he returns.
Besides Shah and Kovind, the other members of the panel announced on Saturday are - Congressman Ghulam Nabi Azad; former chairman of the 15th Finance Commission, NK Singh; former secretary-general of Lok Sabha, Subhash C Kashyap; senior advocate Harish Salve; and former chief vigilance commissioner Sanjay Kothari. Meghwal is a special invitee while Niten Chandra, secretary in the department of legal affairs, will act as the secretary to the committee.
Congress lawmaker Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury declined to join the panel citing its terms of reference as already favouring simultaneous polls.
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Among several issues that will be considered while looking into the feasibility of the plan — which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described as an important electoral reform — a primary one will be to go into the critical logistics of manpower and electronic voting machines (EVMs) required to hold multiple elections at the same time.
While the BJP-led NDA government has vociferously pushed for the roll-out of simultaneous polls, referred to as “One Nation, One Election” by Modi, opposition parties have criticised the suggestion.
The development drew flak from several Opposition parties, who have called it a “unilateral” decision without any consultation with Parliament and political parties, and claimed that the government’s move aims at diverting the attention from the Opposition’s demand of “fair election”, the Hindustan Times said in a report on the proposal on September 4.