Sync Assembly terms with LS polls: Panel

One nation, one election committee submits report

- DAMINI NATH RITIKA CHOPRA

TO SET IN motion the process of simultaneous elections, the high-level committee on 'one nation, one election', chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind has recommended that the term of state Assemblies elected after the first sitting of a newly elected Lok Sabha be curtailed till elections to the next Lok Sabha.

If the government falls in the Centre or any state, the committee state, the committee has recommended that elections should be held only for the remainder of the term to ensure simultaneous electoral cycle is not disturbed.

Besides changes in laws to facilitate this, the committee which submitted its 281-page report to President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday has suggested amendments to a host of provisions to empower the Election Commission to create a common electoral roll for Lok Sabha, Assemblies and local bodies; holding local body polls within 100 days of general elections; and tying the one-election exercise to a date that may be notified by the President.

FORMER BUREAUCRATS SUKHBIR Singh Sandhu and Gyanesh Kumar have been named as the new election commissioners by a panel chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, committee member and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said on Thursday, reports PTI.

Chowdhury, however, gave his dissent note on the selection. The Congress said he had sought the names of the shortlisted candidates for the posts, but was provided 212 names the night before the committee met. Chowdhury said six names came up before the panel for the selection of Sandhu and Kumar were finalised by a majority of members.