High-Level Committee on ‘One Nation, One Election’ Convenes Second Meeting
In the pursuit of examining the feasibility of conducting simultaneous elections across the nation and providing recommendations on the matter, the High-Level Committee, chaired by former President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, convened its second meeting. The committee welcomed key members, including Amit Shah, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Law and Justice, N. K. Singh, former Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission, Dr. Subhash C. Kashyap, former Secretary General of the Lok Sabha, Harish Salve, Senior Advocate, and Sanjay Kothari, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner, who participated in this significant gathering.
The Chairman of the Committee, Ram Nath Kovind, along with the members, proceeded to validate the minutes of the initial meeting held on September 23, and discussed the actions taken following the decisions made during that meeting.
Niten Chandra, the Committee’s Secretary, informed the members about the various follow-up actions taken based on the decisions from the first meeting. Notably, the committee decided to rename itself as the ‘High-Level Committee on One Nation, One Election’ (‘एक देश, एक चुनाव के लिए उच्च स्तरीय समिति’) as per an earlier decision. Letters were dispatched to six national parties, 33 state parties, and seven registered unrecognised parties, inviting their suggestions on the concept of ‘One Nation, One Election.’ Furthermore, a dedicated website, www.onoe.gov.in, has been developed to serve as an informational hub and a platform for interaction, as well as to receive input from all stakeholders. This website was officially launched during the meeting.
The Law Commission of India took the opportunity to present their suggestions and perspectives on the issue of simultaneous elections in the country. This presentation was made by Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, the Chairperson of the Law Commission, along with Prof. (Dr.) Anand Paliwal and Member Secretary Khetrabasi Biswal.
During the course of the meeting, the committee unanimously decided on the following:
- Approval of budgetary provisions for the High-Level Committee for the fiscal year 2023-24.
- Acknowledgment of the resignation of Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, Leader of the single largest party in the Lok Sabha, from the membership of the High-Level Committee.
