New Delhi, Sept 6: According to the sources, the group called “One Nation One Election” would hold its first formal meeting on Wednesday in the national capital residence of its chairman, former president Ram Nath Kovind, to discuss the policy. The committee, led by former president Ram Nath Kovind, would look into the problem of holding elections for the Lok Sabha, Assemblies, municipalities, and panchayats simultaneously. The Union Law Ministry selected eight members to the committee on Saturday.Home Minister Amit Shah, Congressman Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, former Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Chairperson of the Finance Commission NK Singh, senior attorney Harish Salve, former Secretary General of the Lok Sabha Subhash C Kashyap, and former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari will all be members of the committee in addition to the chairperson. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who was selected to join the High-Level Committee (HLC) set up by the Centre, has, however, declined to do so, stating that the panel’s “terms of reference have been prepared in a manner to guarantee its conclusions.”Government sources claimed that before the committee’s members were announced, he gave his approval to join. The committee was established months before elections for five state assemblies and the Lok Sabha the following year. One Nation, One Election is a concept that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promoted on numerous occasions. One nation, one election is not merely a topic of discussion, but also a requirement for India, he declared in November 2020 while speaking to a gathering of presiding officers. Every month there are elections in India, which slows progress. Why should the nation squander so much cash?‘One Nation, One Election’ may result in simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections throughout India if it is put into force.
