Former President Ram Nath Kovind led a committee that submitted an extensive report on the 'One Nation One Election' (ONOE) initiative to President Droupadi Murmu. The high-level committee recommended the development of a legally tenable mechanism by the central government to restore the cycle of simultaneous elections.
The report, consisting of 18,626 pages, is the result of extensive consultations with stakeholders, experts, and 191 days of research since its inception on September 2, 2023.
The committee presented the report to President Murmu after meeting her at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi earlier in the day.
According to the report, which was based on suggestions from parties, experts, and stakeholders, the committee unanimously believed that simultaneous elections would bring fundamental transformation in the electoral process and overall governance.
The committee recommended the introduction of Article 324A to enable simultaneous elections in panchayats and municipalities alongside the general elections of the House of the People and the State Legislative Assemblies.
Furthermore, it proposed that Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections be held simultaneously, with municipality and panchayat polls conducted within 100 days of their completion.
Headed by Ram Nath Kovind, the panel includes members such as Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Finance Commission chairman NK Singh, former Lok Sabha Secretary General Subhash Kashyap, and senior advocate Harish Salve.
