One nation, one election: Three retired chief justices, former state election commissioner opposed simultaneous polls

As many as three ex-chief justices of high courts and a former state election commissioner were among those who opposed simultaneous polls, when consulted by the Ram Nath Kovind-led panel, which the Centre formed in September last year to study the feasibility of holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections.

Also Read: Kovind-led panel on 'one nation, one election' submits report to President Droupadi Murmu

According to PTI, among the retired high court chief justices approached by the high-level committee headed by the ex-President of India, nine supported the ‘one nation, one election’ proposal. The three who opposed the idea were: Justices Ajit Prakash Shah (Delhi HC), Girish Chandra Gupta (Calcutta HC), and Sanjib Banerjee (Madras HC).

Why were they opposed to One Nation, One Election?

As per the panel report, which has more than 18,000 pages and was submitted to President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday, Justice Shah noted that the exercise may curb ‘democratic expression,’ and was concerned about ‘distorted’ voting patterns and state-level political alterations.

Justice Gupta, the report said, believed that simultaneous elections are not ‘conducive' to the principles of democracy, while Justice Banerjee opined that these could undermine the country's federal structure.

Also Read: Key recommendations Ram Nath Kovind panel made in its report

However, four ex-Chief Justices of India (Dipak Misra, Ranjan Gogoi, SA Bobde, UU Lalit) that the committee met, supported the idea.

Who else opposed the move?

The four former chief election commissioners interviewed by the panel endorsed simultaneous polls, while amongst the sitting and ex-state election commissioners, seven gave a ‘thumbs up,’ while V Palanikumar, whose term as Tamil Nadu Election Commissioner ended on March 9, objected.

“One primary concern he (Palanikumar) emphasised was the pervasive dominance of national issues over local considerations during elections. He also highlighted the acute issue of a shortage in electoral manpower, emphasising the imperative of bolstering staff to ensure the seamless and efficient execution of elections,” the report stated.