Law Commission to back simultaneous polls, suggest likely timelines for 2024 and 2029

The Indian Express had reported earlier that the Commission was not in favour of lowering the age of consent for minors.

The Commission’s report is set to be submitted days after the government, citing “national interest”, formed a high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind to “examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections” to Lok Sabha, state Assemblies, municipalities and panchayats.

On September 23, the panel chaired by Kovind held its first meeting which was attended by committee members Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, former Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Chairman of the Fifteenth Finance Commission N K Singh, former secretary-general of Lok Sabha Subhash C Kashyap and former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari.

According to a government statement, the panel decided to invite the Law Commission and political parties to make suggestions on the issue.

In 2018, the 21st Law Commission headed by Justice B S Chauhan (retired), in a draft report, had also recommended the ‘One Nation, One Election’ idea.

However, given “the complexity of the issues involved,” the Commission had said that it was “desirable to have further discussions and examination on the matter, involving all the stakeholders, once again, before making final recommendations to the Government.”

The term of that Commission ended before a final recommendation was made.

The 22nd Law Commission was constituted for a period of three years in February 2020 but its chairperson, Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, former Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, was appointed in November 2022.

In February this year, when the Commission’s tenure was set to end, the government extended its term up to August 31, 2024.