The Ram Nath Kovind-led panel has recommended simultaneous polls for 2029, marking a significant step towards achieving the concept of “one nation, one election“. The committee, chaired by the former President, suggests a transitional measure to synchronize the electoral cycles of the central and state governments. This entails identifying an “appointed date” immediately after a Lok Sabha election, whereby the terms of all state assemblies going to polls after that date would expire concurrently with the Parliament. As a second step, the committee proposes holding municipality and panchayat elections within 100 days of the Lok Sabha and state elections.
According to sources, if the government elected post the 2024 Lok Sabha polls adopts the Kovind committee’s recommendation and initiates the process promptly, the first simultaneous polls could be conducted by 2029. During this transition period, states with elections due between June 2024 and May 2029 would see their terms align with the 18th Lok Sabha, even if it results in some state assemblies having terms of less than five years as a one-time measure to facilitate synchronization.
Major states such as West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana, due for elections in 2026, 2027, and 2028, would all synchronize their terms with the 18th Lok Sabha in 2029 to achieve alignment. The committee stresses that the government, once elected, must determine the starting point for implementing simultaneous elections.
To ensure continuity in synchronization, the committee suggests conducting fresh elections only for the remainder of the term in case of a premature dissolution of the Parliament or a state assembly due to a no-confidence motion, hung House, or any other event. Additionally, the committee recommends amending Article 325 of the Constitution to enable the Election Commission of India to prepare a single electoral roll and single Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) in consultation with the State Election Commissions.
To facilitate simultaneous municipal and panchayat elections, the committee proposes an Article 324A, empowering Parliament to enact a law ensuring their alignment with General Elections. The report emphasizes the importance of certainty in governance decisions, advocating for an improved architecture of governance by synchronizing elections at all three tiers of government – the House of the People, State Legislative Assemblies, Municipalities, and Panchayats.
The committee, constituted on September 2, 2023, comprised eminent members including Home Minister Amit Shah, former Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Finance Commission chairperson N K Singh, former Lok Sabha secretary-general Subhash C Kashyap, senior advocate Harish Salve, and former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari.
While committee member Subhash C. Kashyap proposed the concept of a “constructive vote of no-confidence” akin to the model in Germany, the committee ultimately disagreed with this proposal, maintaining that the prevailing Parliamentary practice in India is appropriate and does not require any change.
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