Opposition slams Union government panel on ‘One Nation, One Election’; Raut sees conspiracy to postpone Assembly polls

Also read: INDIA’s Mumbai meet to focus on common agenda, cooperation

Logo unveiling deferred

His Maha Vikas Aghadi colleague and Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra assembly Vijay Wadettiwar said the unveiling of the logo of INDIA has been postponed.

Wadettiwar said the unveiling of the logo of the INDIA bloc was postponed and the discussion would be about setting up various coordination committees.

Kharge, in his speech during the second day of the third meeting of the alliance, asserted that the countdown of this “autocratic government’s exit has begun”.

The government has constituted a committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind to explore the feasibility of “one nation, one election”, opening the possibility of Lok Sabha polls being advanced so that they could be held along with a string of state assembly contests.

Tagging a group photograph of the INDIA alliance leaders meeting to finalise a roadmap for taking on the NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Kharge, in a post on X, said, “Judega Bharat, Jeetega INDIA. We are united for a progressive, welfare-oriented, inclusive India.”

“No matter how many diversions and distractions the ruling regime throws at the people, the citizens of India shall not be betrayed anymore,” he said without referring to the formation of the committee.

“140 Cr Indians have decided to usher change. The countdown of this autocratic government’s exit has begun,” Kharge said.

Judega Bharat, Jeetega INDIA 🇮🇳

We are united for a progressive, welfare-oriented, inclusive India.

No matter how many diversions and distractions, the ruling regime throws at the people, the citizens of India shall not be betrayed anymore.

140 Cr Indians have decided to… pic.twitter.com/mjug68b12c

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) September 1, 2023

Also read: Ram Nath Kovind to lead panel on ‘One Nation, One Election’ plan

‘Need fair election’

Talking to reporters, Raut said, “We need fair elections which are not happening now. The one nation, one election’ proposal is a conspiracy to postpone elections.”

Raut said the BJP government did not respect Kovind when he was the president. “Now they are making him busy with a committee to explore the possibility of one nation, one election’,” he said.

The Rajya Sabha MP also questioned the need for a special session of Parliament, scheduled to be held from September 18 to 22, during the Ganpati festival.

“When regular sessions are on, the prime minister never attends the proceedings,” he claimed.

Raut alleged that the BJP-led Centre’s “moves” were attempts to divert attention from the meeting of the INDIA alliance currently underway in Mumbai.

He said the Opposition bloc’s meeting is aimed at including all allies and working towards consensus on all issues. “A chief coordination committee, research committee, campaign and agenda committee and manifesto committee are likely to shape up,” he said.

The Congress leader claimed that the one nation, one election’ move happened because of the INDIA alliance meeting.

DMK opposes proposal

Meanwhile the Tamil Nadu ruling DMK on Friday opposed the proposal to hold simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

After the Centre constituted the panel to explore the feasibility of “one nation, one election”, DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai said on X, “one nation, one election is against the interests of the country.”

Ever since the idea was mooted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the DMK has all along been opposing it as part of its Dravidian ideology of good governance.

ஒரு நாடு ஒரு தேர்தல் என்பது தேச நலனுக்கு எதிரானது. https://t.co/AvEteTkp7L

— Saravanan Annadurai (@saravofcl) September 1, 2023

On Friday morning, BJP chief JP Nadda met ex-president Kovind soon after the latter was tasked with the responsibility of heading a committee to explore the feasibility of “one nation, one election”, which was the case till 1967.

Since coming to power in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a strong votary for the idea of simultaneous polls, which include those at local bodies, citing the financial burden caused by the almost continuous election cycle and jolt to development work during the polling period.

Also read: Opposition bloc INDIA holds informal talks

INDIA hails Chandrayaan-3

The Opposition alliance also passed a resolution hailing ISRO’s successful launch of the Chandrayaan-3 mission and asserted that it took six decades to build, expand and deepen the space agency’s capacities and capabilities.

It also hoped that its extraordinary accomplishments would strengthen the spirit of scientific temper in society and give youth the inspiration to excel in science.

The resolution adopted by INDIA on ISRO’s successful Chandrayaan-3 mission said the world is looking eagerly to the launch of the Aditya-L1 mission on Saturday.

“We, the INDIA parties congratulate the entire ISRO family —  present and past — for its outstanding achievements which have made our country proud. It has taken six decades to build, expand and deepen ISRO’s capacities and capabilities,” the resolution said.

Thrilled with the success of Chandrayaan-3 INDIA parties pass a resolution to congratulate the entire ISRO family – present and past – for its extraordinary achievements which have made our country proud.

We extend our best wishes for the launch of Aditya-L1 tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/bh7TnrFOKu

— Congress (@INCIndia) September 1, 2023

It said the Chandrayaan-3 has thrilled the world, which is looking eagerly to the launch of Aditya-L1 on Saturday.

Aditya-L1 spacecraft is designed to provide remote observations of the solar corona and in situ observations of the solar wind at L1 (Sun-Earth Lagrangian point), which is about 1.5 million kilometres from the Earth.

It will be the first dedicated Indian space mission for observations of the Sun to be launched by the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency.

“We hope that the extraordinary accomplishments of ISRO strengthen the spirit of scientific temper in our society and give our youth the inspiration to excel in fields of scientific endeavour,” the resolution adopted by the INDIA bloc said.

The third meeting of the INDIA alliance is underway at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai. As many as 63 representatives from 28 political parties are taking part in the meeting.

Earlier in the day, all the participants got together for a group photo before starting their formal discussion.

(With PTI inputs)