New Delhi, Sep 18 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the government's approval of simultaneous elections as a significant step toward enhancing India's democracy. He also thanked former President Ram Nath Kovind for painstakingly spearheading the nationwide consultation process.

In a post on X on Wednesday, PM Modi said, 'The Cabinet has accepted the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections. I compliment our former President, Ram Nath Kovind Ji for spearheading this effort and consulting a wide range of stakeholders.'

'This is an important step towards making our democracy even more vibrant and participative,' he added.

Earlier, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday accepted the recommendations of the high-level committee on simultaneous elections under the chairmanship of former President Ram Nath Kovind.

The committee in its report had said that elections had been held simultaneously between 1951 and 1967. The Law Commission in its 170th report (1999) had also said that One election to Lok Sabha and all Legislative Assemblies in five years should be held. Parliamentary Committee's 79th Report (2015) suggested methods for simultaneous elections in two phases.

The High-Level Committee chaired by Ram Nath Kovind extensively consulted a broad spectrum of stakeholders including political parties and experts. Extensive feedback has shown there is widespread support for simultaneous elections in the country.

The Kovind committee had recommended common electoral rolls for all elections and an implementation group to supervise the whole process.

A bill to implement simultaneous elections is expected to be introduced in the Winter session of Parliament. This initiative aims to synchronise Parliamentary and Assembly elections, which has been a part of the Modi government's 100-day agenda.

Prime Minister Modi has frequently emphasised the need for this system, arguing that the country incurs significant costs and disruptions from ongoing election seasons.

/IANS