The Kovind-led committee recommended that there should be a common electoral roll for all elections and proposed discussions throughout the country. It also demanded the constitution of an implementation group.
Published Sep 18, 2024 | 4:52 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 18, 2024 | 7:25 PM
Representative image of people voting (ECISVEEP/ X)
Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Wednesday, 18 September, that the Union Cabinet approved the proposal for BJP’s ambitious plan of “One Nation One Election”, aligning polls for both the Lok Sabha and all state Assemblies.
Vaishnav said the Union Cabinet unanimously approved the report of the high-level committee, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
The panel had recommended conducting simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies as the first phase, to be followed by local body polls within a 100-day period.
BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have been advocating the “One Nation One Election” plan claiming that it would streamline India’s electoral process by reducing the frequency of elections. It is also claimed to be a cost-saving measure, to significantly reduce the financial and administrative burden of frequent elections.
Meanwhile, leaders of Opposition parties slammed the move branding the move as an impractical decision.
The Kovind-led committee recommended that there should be a common electoral roll for all elections and proposed discussions throughout the country. It also demanded the constitution of an implementation group.
Reacting to the move, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said the grand old party was opposed to the idea.
“We don’t stand with this. One Nation One Election cannot work in a democracy. Elections need to be held as and when required if we want our democracy to survive,” Kharge said.
Vaishnav said a large number of political parties across the political spectrum supported the One Nation One Election initiative.
“When they interact with high-level meetings, they give their input in a very succinct manner and with a lot of clarity. Our government believes in creating a consensus on items which affect democracy and the nation in the long run. This is a subject, a topic that will strengthen our nation…,” the Union minister said.
“The Opposition might start feeling internal pressure as more than 80 percent of respondents who responded during the consultation process have given support, especially the youth. They are very much in favour of this,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) and Lok Sabha MP KC Venugopal seconded the party chief’s stance.
“This is not at all practical in this country. They (the Union government) also know about that. They want to divert the attention from present issues in this country. It is not at all practical. INDIA bloc and the Congress party are not in favour and we have already announced our stance,” the Alappuzha MP said.
AIMIM President and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi opposed the move and said it would destroy federalism and compromise democracy.
“I have consistently opposed #OneNationOneElections because it is a solution in search of a problem. It destroys federalism and compromises democracy, which are part of the basic structure of the constitution. Multiple elections aren’t a problem for anyone except Modi & Shah,” he wrote on X.
“Just because they have a compulsive need to campaign in even municipal & local body elections does not mean that we need simultaneous polls. Frequent & periodic elections improve democratic accountability,” Owasi added.
Meanwhile, CPI leader D Raja said the move was impractical, considering the diversity of the coutry
“What is the proposal made by the Cabinet? We do not know the details what are the modalities they are proposing to go ahead with the proposal of one nation, one election. It is an issue that has been discussed and debated for quite some time. The law commission sought the opinion of political parties and our party submitted its view to the law commission on 16 January, 2023. Then, when the committee headed by Ram Nath Kovind was constituted, they also sought the opinion of political parties,” he said.
“On behalf of the Communist party of India, I met the high-level commission headed by the former President, I submitted my party’s views on 10 January, 2024. We pointed out that considering the diversities of our country and the character of the permanent constitutional body, that is the election commission, India would have multiple frequent elections. So, the ‘one nation one election ‘is impossible and impractical,” Raja added.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders supported the move saying that the proposed system would streamline the electoral process.
“The Cabinet’s historic decision on ‘One Nation, One Election’ is a testament to PM Shri@narendramodi ji’s unwavering commitment to reforming India’s electoral process. This visionary move will not only enhance transparency but also streamline the system, encouraging greater public participation. By reducing the frequency of elections, it will save valuable resources and time, ensuring more efficient governance. The far-reaching impact of this decision reflects Modi ji’s dedication to building a stronger, more effective democracy for the nation’s long-term benefit,” BJP Telangana leader and Rajya Sabha MP K Laxman wrote on X.
The Cabinet’s historic decision on ‘One Nation, One Election’ is a testament to PM Shri @narendramodi ji’s unwavering commitment to reforming India’s electoral process.
This visionary move will not only enhance transparency but also streamline the system, encouraging greater… pic.twitter.com/91Q5nzS3RH
— Dr K Laxman (@drlaxmanbjp) September 18, 2024
“It is the most historic day. One nation one election is not only the dream of our PM Modi, crores of Indians were expecting this. This will not only save time but save thousands of crores of money. Most of the time, throughout the year, elections take place. Definitely, this historic decision is going to help the nation,” BJP Karnataka President BY Vijayendra said.
“PM Modi has implemented the vision of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. When the initial constitution came into force all the initial elections happened as one nation, one election… The people of India are giving a thumbs up to the Cabinet approving the ‘One Nation, One Election’,” BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
