A high-level committee on ‘One nation, one election’ headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind held its first meeting on Saturday and decided to invite political parties and the Law Commission to seek their views on holding synchronised polls across the nation.

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. Noted lawyer Harish Salve joined the meeting virtually.

The panel has 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”, the statement added.

The committee will also invite the Law Commission for its suggestions and viewpoints on the issue of simultaneous elections, a law ministry statement said.

Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who had earlier declined to be a part of the committee, was not present in the meeting, the statement read.

The union government announced on September 2 that it had formed an eight-member committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, to “examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections” to Lok Sabha, state Assemblies, municipalities and panchayats.

Hours after the announcement, Chowdhury, the lone Opposition voice in the panel, declined to be a part of the exercise, which he called an “eye wash”.