First meeting of 'one nation, one election' to be held on Sep 23

NEW DELHI: Former President Ram Nath Kovind, who chairs the 'one nation, one election' committee, on Saturday said that its first meeting will take place on September 23.

The former President confirmed the development to the media.

The meeting will take place a day after the conclusion of the five-day special session of Parliament.

Earlier this month, the Centre had announced that an eight-member committee has been constituted to examine ‘one nation, one election’ concept.

Besides Kovind and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the government had named Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, former Rajya Sabha LoP Ghulam Nabi Azad, former chairman of the 15th Finance Commission N.K Singh, former Secretary General of Lok Sabha Subhash Kashyap as its members,

Senior advocate Harish Salve and former Chief vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari are also on the panel.

However, Chowdhury declined an invitation to be a part.

The committee will look into the feasibility of holding not only the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections simultaneously, but also polls to municipalities and panchayats, according to the gazette notification.

The committee will analyse and recommend possible solutions linked to simultaneous elections if there is a hung house, no-confidence motion, defection, or any such other event.

A single electoral roll and identity card for voters valid for the national, state, civic body and panchayat elections will be explored, the government said in the notification.