The high-level committee on simultaneous elections headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind in its first meeting on Saturday decided to invite political parties and the Law Commission to seek their views on holding synchronised polls in the country.
Home Minister Amit Shah, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, former Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Finance Commission chairman N K Singh, former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash C Kashyap and former chief vigilance commissioner Sanjay Kothari attended the meeting.
The committee, according to a statement said, decided to invite recognised national parties, parties having governments in states, those having their representatives in Parliament, other recognised state parties "for seeking suggestions/view points on the issue of simultaneous elections in the country".
In addition, the committee will also invite the Law Commission for its suggestions and view points on the issue of simultaneous elections, a law ministry statement said.
Noted lawyer Harish Salve joined the meeting virtually.
Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was not present in the meeting, the statement noted.
After he was named in the committee, Chowdhury had written to Shah "declining to serve on the committee".
The government had, on September 2, notified the eight-member "high-level" panel to examine and make recommendations at the earliest on the issue of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities and panchayats.
Describing the meeting as introductory in nature, people aware of the details said it was called to discuss the roadmap on how to go about the mandate given to the panel.
Preparation of working papers, how to go about holding consultations with the stakeholders and research on the subject for an in-depth discussion were also on the agenda of the meeting.
The government notification said the panel will commence functioning immediately and make recommendations "at the earliest", but has not specify a time-frame for the submission of the report.
The decision to have a committee under former president Kovind had caught opposition bloc INDIA, holding its conclave in Mumbai on September 1, by surprise and further raised the political heat.
The opposition alliance had slammed the decision as a "threat" to the country's federal structure.
The committee will examine and recommend specific amendments to the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act and any other laws and rules that would require amendments for the purpose of holding simultaneous elections.
It has also been tasked to suggest a framework for synchronisation of elections and "specifically suggest the phases and time-frame within which simultaneous elections may be held if they cannot be held in one go...."
It will also examine and recommend if the amendments to the Constitution would require to be ratified by the states.
Certain amendments to the Constitution require a ratification by at least 50 per cent of the state assemblies.
The committee will also analyse and recommend possible solutions to scenarios such as a hung house, the adoption of a no-confidence motion or defection or any such event in case of simultaneous elections.
The panel has also been asked to recommend "necessary safeguards for ensuring the continuity of the cycle of simultaneous elections and recommend necessary amendments to the Constitution so that the cycle of simultaneous elections is not disturbed".