The High-Level Committee (HLC) on simultaneous elections led by former President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday submitted its report to President Droupadi Murmu. The 18,626-page Report is an outcome of extensive consultations with stakeholders & experts and research work of 191 days since its constitution on September 2, 2023.
What are the key recommendations of the Kovind-led HLC on simultaneous polls?
In its report, the HLC has recommended a two-step approach to lead to simultaneous elections.
As the first step, simultaneous elections will be held for the House of the People and the State Legislative Assemblies, stated the Committee’s report submitted to the President.
In the second step, the Committee has recommended that elections to the Municipalities and the Panchayats will be synchronised with the House of the People and the State Legislative Assemblies in such a way that Municipalities and Panchayats elections are held within 100 days of holding elections to the House of the People and the State Legislative Assemblies.
The Committee has also recommended that there should be a single electoral roll and Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) for use in elections to all three tiers of Government.
In case of a hung assembly and no-confidence motion, the Committee has recommended holding fresh elections for the remainder of the five-year-term.
To be able to hold first simultaneous polls, the Committee has suggested that the tenure of all the state assemblies can be for the period ending up to the next general elections.
