‘Issue of common electoral role under examination of parliamentary panel’

New Delhi: The issue of having a common voters’ list for Lok Sabha, assembly and local body polls is under examination of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, Rajya Sabha was told on Thursday.

In a written reply, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said the Law Commission in its 255th report had endorsed introduction of common electoral rolls for parliamentary, assembly and local body elections.

To a sub question on whether the government proposes to have ‘one nation one voter list’ as suggested by the Law Commission, he said the proposal is under examination of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice.

“Electoral reforms are continuous and ongoing process in order to improve the existing electoral practices in the country,” he said.

On earlier occasions, the government had said that a common electoral roll to identify voters for Lok Sabha, assembly and local body polls would reduce the cost and effort involved in the process of preparing separate lists. While several states use the electoral rolls prepared by the Election Commission to hold Lok Sabha and assembly polls, some states use their own lists for local body elections.

The EC is mandated to hold President, Vice President, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and assembly elections.