One Nation, One Election Reality Soon as Union Cabinet Approves Ram Nath Kovind Panel Report

New Delhi: On Wednesday, the central government cleared the proposal of the 'one nation, one election,' proposed by the Ram Nath Kovind panel. As per sources, the 'One Nation, One Election' Bill is likely to be introduced in the upcoming winter session of Parliament.

This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day address last month advocated for 'one nation, one election,' a panel report arguing that frequent elections create impediments to the country's progress.

"The nation has to come forward for 'one nation, one election'," the Prime Minister had said in his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

Earlier, on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah in a press conference on 100 days of Modi 3.0 asserted that the BJP-led NDA government will implement the 'one nation, one election' within its current tenure. "We plan to implement one nation one poll within the tenure of this government," he said. 

This report panel was one of the key promises made by the BJP during campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year. 

High-Level Committee Report

A high-level panel, chaired by former president Ram Nath Kovind, submitted an extensive 18,626-page report to President Droupadi Murmu in March this year. Legal experts, including 4 former Chief Justices of India, 12 former Chief Justices from major High Courts, and 4 former Chief Election Commissioners, were also invited to offer their insights.

The panel recommended simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies earlier this year in March. This would be the initial step, followed by synchronized local body elections within 100 days. Although the panel didn’t set a specific timeline for implementing simultaneous polls, it suggested forming an 'Implementation Group' to oversee the process.

The panel proposed 18 constitutional amendments, many of which would not require state assembly ratification but would necessitate the passage of constitutional amendment bills in Parliament.