Former President Ram Nath Kovind Discusses ‘One Nation, One Election’ Vision
In New Delhi, Former President Ram Nath Kovind spoke about the ‘One Nation, One Election’ policy, highlighting it as a vision of India’s constitutional forefathers. He addressed this topic at the 30th Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial Lecture, noting that simultaneous elections were common in India’s early years. Kovind explained that the synchronization of Lok Sabha and state assembly elections was disrupted in 1968 when several state assemblies were dissolved prematurely by the Union Government under Article 356.
Kovind, who chaired the high-level committee on this policy, pointed out the irony in some sections of society labeling simultaneous elections as undemocratic and unconstitutional. He mentioned that during consultations, 47 political parties shared their views, with 32 supporting the idea and 15 opposing it, despite some of these parties having supported it in the past.
On September 18, the Union Cabinet approved the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal, which suggests holding Lok Sabha and Assembly elections simultaneously, along with urban body and panchayat polls within 100 days. These recommendations were part of a report by the committee led by Kovind.
Doubts Revealed
Ram Nath Kovind -: Ram Nath Kovind is a former President of India. He served as the 14th President from 2017 to 2022.
One Nation, One Election -: This is a policy idea in India that suggests holding all elections for the central and state governments at the same time. It aims to reduce the cost and time involved in conducting separate elections.
Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial Lecture -: This is an event held in memory of Lal Bahadur Shastri, who was the second Prime Minister of India. The lecture series is organized to discuss important national issues.
Simultaneous elections -: Simultaneous elections mean holding elections for both the central government and all state governments at the same time. This was common in India until 1968 when the election cycles got disrupted.
Union Cabinet -: The Union Cabinet is a group of high-ranking government officials in India, including the Prime Minister and other ministers. They make important decisions for the country.
