A committee led by former president Ram Nath Kovind held its first meeting in New Delhi to discuss the possibility of simultaneous elections in India. The committee decided to invite political parties and the Law Commission to gather their opinions on the matter. The government had previously formed this eight-member committee to examine and make recommendations on holding synchronized elections for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities, and panchayats.
The meeting was attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Ghulam Nabi Azad, N K Singh, Subhash C Kashyap, and Sanjay Kothari. Harish Salve also participated virtually. However, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, was not present as he had declined to serve on the committee. Chowdhury had expressed concerns about the committee’s terms of reference and believed it was designed to reach predetermined conclusions.
The committee outlined its approach by deciding to seek suggestions and viewpoints from recognized national parties, parties with state governments, parties with representatives in Parliament, and other recognized state parties regarding simultaneous elections in the country.
