New Delhi: The government on Saturday named Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Home Minister Amit Shah, and former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad among members to the High Level Committee (HLC) to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities and panchayats.

The high-level panel will be headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind.

The other members of the panel are former 15th Finance Commission Chairman NK Singh, former Lok Sabha Secretary General Subhash C Kashyap, Senior advocate Harish Salve and former Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) Sanjay Kothari.

The notification from the Ministry of Law and Justice said that the committee will start functioning immediately and 'make recommendations at the earliest.'

Minister of State (Independent charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal will attend the HLC meetings as a special invitee.