Kovind panel’s report on ONOE in month’s time

New Delhi: The government on Saturday notified an eight-member high-level committee on simultaneous polls under the chairmanship of former president Ram Nath Kovind consisting of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and former Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad.

This committee on the one nation and one election will start functioning immediately and will make recommendations at earliest. In all probability, the committee may come up with its recommendations in about a month’s time if not earlier. The Kovind panel on simultaneous polls is now tasked with the job to analyse the impact of scenarios emerging from hung House, no-confidence motion or defection.

It will also study if amendments to Constitution would require ratification by states or would be enough to pass the bill in both Houses of Parliament. Along with that the panel will examine recommendations for holding simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha, assemblies, municipalities and panchayats. While ex-secretary general of Lok Sabha Subhash C Kashyap has been appointed in the committee on simultaneous polls, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will be the special invitee. Similarly, Jurist Harish Salve, ex-CVC Sanjay Kothari and ex-chairman of Finance Commission N K Singh are on the panel.