Indian gov't forms committee to explore possibility of "one nation one election"

NEW DELHI, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government has set up a committee to explore the possibility of "one nation one election" in the country, local media reported on Friday.

The committee will be headed by former Indian President Ram Nath Kovind to study the issue and submit a report to the government.

"One nation, one election" refers to the holding of India's general election and local elections in its states simultaneously, and it was part of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) manifesto in the 2014 general elections.

The move came a day after the Indian government announced that a special session of the parliament would be convened from Sept. 18 to Sept. 22.

The recently concluded monsoon session of the Indian parliament held between July 20 and Aug. 11 witnessed acrimonious exchanges between the BJP-led ruling National Democratic Alliance and the new opposition alliance Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance spearheaded by Congress.