‘One poll’ impractical: Oppn; historic step, say BJP & allies
NEW DELHI: As the Union Cabinet approved the proposal for “one nation, one poll” on Wednesday, Opposition parties slammed the proposed move as “impractical” and a “cheap stunt” by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) even as the ruling party and its allies hailed it as “historic” and a “milestone” step, one that will ensure political stability in the country.
The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the proposal for “one nation, one election” as recommended by the high-level committee led by former president Ram Nath Kovind. The panel has recommended simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies as the first step, followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days.
“It is not practical. It will not work,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters. “When elections come, and they (BJP) don’t get any issues to raise, then they divert attention from real issues.”
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O’Brien called it a “cheap stunt by the anti-democratic BJP” and questioned why the Maharashtra assembly polls were not announced with those in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir if the government wants simultaneous elections.
“You cannot do three states in one go and you talk about one nation, one election,” he said.
He also shared on X a letter written by West Bengal chief minister and TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee in January, opposing the proposal.
Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary D Raja said the proposed move would curtail the rights of the states. “One Nation, One Election is an impractical and unrealistic idea in our constitutional setting,” he posted on X.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the proposed move will destroy federalism. “I have consistently opposed One Nation One Election 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,” he wrote on X.
Multiple elections aren’t a problem for anyone except PM Modi and home minister Amit Shah, he claimed. “Just because they have a compulsive need to campaign in even municipal and local body elections does not mean that we need simultaneous polls,” Owaisi added.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lawmaker Sandeep Pathak wondered how all elections would be held together when the Maharashtra polls could not be held with those in Haryana and J&K. “They were incapable of holding simultaneous polls in four states and managed to hold elections in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir... when they are unable to hold simultaneous polls in four states, how is one nation, one election even possible?” he said.
Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren alleged the BJP wanted “only one party to rule the country as well as the states”.
Opposition INDIA bloc partners Shiv Sena (UBT) and DMK also opposed ONOE proposal.
The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) hailed the simultaneous elections move, with senior BJP leader and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath saying the approval given to the proposal is commendable.
“This decision will prove to be a ‘milestone’ in ensuring political stability, sustainable development and prosperous democracy in the country,” he said.
BJP’s ally Janata Dal (United) also welcomed the decision. “One nation, one election will have long-term consequences and bring the country comprehensive benefits. It will also help boost polling,” JD(U) spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad said.
Union minister HD Kumaraswamy praised the Cabinet’s decision as a “historic step” towards improving India’s electoral system and said his JD(S) welcomes the “ONOE” system.
BJP ally Shiv Sena also hailed the government’s decision. “The initiative is expected to bring down enormous election-related costs and avoid the policy paralysis that occurs when various elections overlap,” party MP Shrikant Shinde, son of Eknath Shinde, said in a statement.
Former Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati, whose Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is neither part of the NDA nor the INDIA bloc, also voiced support to the move. “Our party’s stand is positive on the approval given by the Union Cabinet to the proposal to hold simultaneous elections’ ... but its objective should be in the interest of the country and the public,” she said in a post on X.