New Delhi: Opposition parties on Thursday raised concerns over bills cleared by the government for holding simultaneous elections and said larger consultations are required while ruling NDA leaders asserted the burden on the exchequer will be lessened.
The Union Cabinet approved bills to implement ‘One Nation, One Election’ and sources said the draft legislations are likely to be introduced in Parliament in the ongoing Winter session.
Opposition MPs questioned if the country is logistically ready to hold simultaneous elections, pointing out that recent polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand could not be held together with that in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir.
Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Chaudhary welcomed the move and said, “One nation, one election will be good for the nation. It will help in saving people’s money.”
He also dismissed the reservations expressed by opposition, and said, “they are in a habit to oppose everything.”
BJP’s ally Lok Janshakti Party (RV) MP Shambhavi Choudhary also welcomed the move.
“This is an ambitious bill, LJP has supported it… Every six month there is election in some state and leaders focus on that. Many times representatives are also not able to give time in Parliament, resources are wasted,” she said.
“One Nation one election sounds good, if the nation can go in that direction, nothing like it. But what is the reality? Is the Election Commission ready for it? Do we have enough forces, infrastructure?” Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai said.
“J&K, and Haryana elections could have been held together with Maharashtra but it was not done. Even the Jharkhand election was held in two phases… If government has some solution it can be discussed, but in present situation it does not appear they can do it,” Desai said.
Congress Lok Sabha member K Suresh said his party has already made its stand clear, and it is opposed to simultaneous polls.
“Our party has already cleared our stand from the beginning, our stand has not changed. We are opposing it. Entire opposition is opposing it,” he said.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member John Brittas said it is against the federal spirit of the country.
“One nation, one election, is part of their slogan ‘one leader, one country, one ideology, one language…’ It’s against the federal spirit of the country,” he said.
“If they are keen on reform in the electoral scene, they should understand what are the issues plaguing the electoral system. If they were so keen about one election, why did they segregate the election of Maharashtra and Haryana, they could not even hold four elections together,” Brittas said.
DMK leader Tiruchi Siva also said his party opposes the bill.
“Let them bring it, my party is totally against it, we have too many questions to raise, and they have to be replied in a comprehensive manner,” he said.
Siva questioned what would happen if a government comes into minority.
“Suppose if Lok Sabha gets dissolved earlier, would they dissolve all state assemblies and hold elections?” he questioned.
BJD Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra said greater consultations need to be held.
“Greater consultation has to be done. What happens when there is a lack of majority, hung assembly or Parliament, or a government loses confidence mid-way… ” he questioned.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh said, “There’s only one slogan of the Modi government that is ‘one nation, one Adani'”.
“He just wants a friend to sell India’s wealth and he is working for him. If there is one nation, one election, then what will happen when the government midway comes in minority. Won’t there be any mid term election?” Singh asked.
Moving ahead with its ‘one nation, one election’ plan, the government in September accepted the recommendations of the high-level committee for holding simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies in a phased manner.
Citing recommendations of the high-level committee, sources had said one of the proposed bills would seek to amend Article 82A by adding sub-clause (1) relating to the appointed date. It will also seek to insert sub-clause (2) to Article 82A relating to the end of terms of the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies together.
