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The Union Cabinet has approved the Modi government’s ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal which proposes simultaneous Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections, with urban body and panchayat polls to be held within 100 days.
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders lauded the union cabinet’s decision on Wednesday, September 18, 2024. “Implementation of the proposal would lead to a faster pace of development,” said BJP leaders. Opposition parties, led by the Congress, voiced strong disapproval of the central government’s decision and called the proposal “impractical.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Union Cabinet’s decision to approve the ‘One Nation, One Election’ and said that the decision is a step towards making India’s democracy even more vibrant and participative.
“The Cabinet has accepted the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections. I compliment our former President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind Ji for spearheading this effort and consulting a wide range of stakeholders. This is an important step towards making our democracy even more vibrant and participative,” Modi posted on X.
The High-level Committee on Simultaneous Elections, constituted under the chairmanship of former President Ram Nath Kovind, submitted its report to President Droupadi Murmu earlier this year. The government said that the report, comprising 18,626 pages, is an outcome of extensive consultations with stakeholders, experts and research work of 191 days, since its constitution on September 2, 2023.
“The nation took a giant stride towards landmark electoral reforms with the Union Cabinet accepting the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on One Nation, One Election today,” Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in a post on X. “This reflects Modi Ji’s iron will to bolster our democracy through clean and financially efficient elections and accelerate economic growth through more productive allocation of resources.”
UP Deputy CM Brijesh Pathak said that all political parties and people of the country are welcoming it. “People of the INDIA alliance are opposing it only for political reasons, the truth is that the people of the country will benefit from it… Everyone knows that after independence, all elections in the country were held simultaneously,” Pathak said.
The opposition parties opposed the One Nation, One Election proposal and said that elections need to be held as and when required for democracy to survive. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that ‘One Nation, One Election’ cannot work in a democracy. “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,” he said.
Congress leader KC Venugopal said: “It is not practical in this country. They want to divert attention from present issues,” he said.
JMM MP Mahua Maji said that the BJP wants to be the only party in the country. “If one nation one election is implemented, what will happen to regional parties and independent candidates? The agenda for local, assembly, and national elections is different. Voters look at different aspects of each case before deciding who to vote for… President’s rule will have to be imposed in case an assembly fails to complete its term… Constitutional amendments will be needed to incorporate the provisions of the bill,” Maji said.
Former Chhattisgarh CM and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel said, “The Prime Minister while addressing the nation from the Red Fort had said that there should be One Nation, One Election. Not even 24 hours have passed and the Election Commission has announced elections for two states… Arun Sao says that elections will be held in Chhattisgarh on the lines of One Nation, One Election. Now news is coming from government sources that it is not possible to conduct municipal and panchayat elections together. They themselves say and are unable to do it… If the government falls in any state, will the elections be held for two and a half years or five years?”
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Asaduddin Owaisi lashed out at the Centre over ‘One Nation One Election’ and said that they can’t do things based on their convenience and the entire game plan of Prime Minister Modi is to finish the regional parties.
“We have given it in writing to the law commission and I have been before the committee formed (for One Nation One Election) and opposed this One Nation One Election. I think that this is a solution in search of a problem. They plan that national parties should remain and all regional parties should be finished. If there are national elections, then there will be national issues and in assembly elections, there will be regional issues. Narendra Modi wants regional issues to end,” he said.
CPI leader D Raja said that many experts have pointed out that under the current Constitution, this cannot be taken forward.
“One Nation, One Election is impractical and unrealistic. Many experts have pointed out that under the current Constitution, this cannot be taken forward. When Parliament meets we must get details on this. If it is pushed, then we need to study the consequences,” D Raja said.
BRS leader KT Rama Rao said, “We will have to see how they go forward with this.”
Samajwadi Party leader Ravidas Malhotra suggested the BJP call an all-party meeting if the government wanted to implement ‘One Nation, One Election’. “If BJP wants to implement ‘One Nation, One Election’, then it should call an all-party meeting on national presidents of all opposition parties and leaders of different political parties in Lok Sabha,” Malhotra said.
