The central government of India has established a committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind on 1 September 2023. The committee’s purpose is to examine the feasibility of conducting Lok Sabha (parliamentary) and assembly elections simultaneously across the country.
- The government has called for a special session of Parliament to be held between September 18 and 22, with the agenda remaining undisclosed.
- Assembly elections are scheduled in five states, namely Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Rajasthan, in November-December. These are expected to be followed by the Lok Sabha elections in May-June of the following year.
- Recent government actions have raised the possibility of advancing both the general elections and some state polls, which were originally scheduled to coincide with the Lok Sabha contest.
- The assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh are currently slated to hold elections concurrently with the Lok Sabha elections.
Q.: Who is heading the committee established by the central government to explore the possibilities of conducting simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections in India?
a) Prime Minister Narendra Modi
b) Ram Nath Kovind
c) Amit Shah
d) Rahul Gandhi
Ans : b) Ram Nath Kovind
