The proposal is largely based on the recommendations of the high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, which was constituted by the Centre in September 2023 to examine the feasibility of simultaneous elections.
After 191 days of consultations and research, the Kovind committee submitted an 18,626-page report to President Droupadi Murmu. The report argued that frequent elections disrupt governance, delay policy implementation and impose significant financial costs on the exchequer.
It recommended a phased rollout beginning with synchronised Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, followed by municipal and panchayat elections within 100 days of the national and state polls.
The panel proposed 18 constitutional amendments to facilitate the transition. While most would require parliamentary approval, measures such as a common electoral roll and a unified voter identity system would also require ratification by at least half of the states.
According to the committee’s report, 32 political parties supported the concept during consultations, while 15 opposed it.
The panel noted that several parties currently opposing ONOE had, at different points in the past, expressed support for the idea of simultaneous elections.
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