To accelerate efforts towards implementing a single election system, a high-level committee, formed by the central government today submitted an 18,000-page report to President Droupadi Murmu.
The report, which recommends holding Lok Sabha and Assembly elections simultaneously, was prepared after extensive consultations with 39 political parties and various economic ministers.
The committee, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, has suggested the use of a voter list and photo identity card for elections. The recommendations were made after studying electoral systems in different countries and gathering opinions from diverse sections of society.
The report was handed over to President Draupadi Murmu in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. It proposes a two-phase election process. In the first phase, Lok Sabha and Assembly elections will be held simultaneously. Within 100 days of this, municipal and retreat elections will follow. The committee believes constitutional amendments will be necessary to implement these changes.
The high-level committee was formed on September 9, 2023, under the chairmanship of former President Ram Nath Kovind. Its members include Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Finance Commission Chairman N.K. Singh, former Lok Sabha General Secretary Subhas Kashyap, and senior lawyer Harish Salve. The committee submitted the report within 191 days of its formation.
