New Delhi [India], September 6 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday arrived at the residence of former President Ram Nath Kovind in the national capital for the first official meeting of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ committee. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal also arrived for the inaugural meeting of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ panel.
The high-powered panel, led by the former President, has been tasked with exploring the feasibility of holding all elections in the country at the same time. The Union Law Ministry, last week, named eight members of the committee, including the former President.
Apart from the chairperson, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, former Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Finance Commission chairperson NK Singh, senior advocate Harish Salve, former Lok Sabha Secretary General Subhash C Kashyap, and former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari were named members of the committee.
However, Adhir, the Leader of the Opposition, in the Lok Sabha, declined to serve on the panel saying its “terms of reference have been prepared in a manner to guarantee its conclusions”. However, according to government sources, he had consented to being a part of the high-level committee before the names were officially notified.
The committee was put together just months ahead of the assembly elections to five states and the Lok Sabha polls next year, setting off speculations that the polls might be held at the same time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pitched the idea of ‘One Nation, One Election’ on several occasions.
In November 2020, PM Modi, addressing a conference of presiding officers, said, “One Nation, One Election is a necessity for India. There is an election every month in the country, hampering development. Why should so much public money be wasted on holding elections?” (ANI)
