The proposal sparks massive criticism; leaders urge the masses to unite against the move
NEW DELHI — Opposition leaders on Wednesday came down heavily on the government’s nod for the “One Nation One Election” proposal urging people to unite against the deplorable decision.
Urging all “democracy-loving people” to come out en masse to oppose the move, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the decision would “destroy the present parliamentary form of governance.”
“This is a game plan of the Sangh Parivar forces to convert the present electoral system into a presidential form of government. This will destroy the present parliamentary form of governance which revolves around the principles of democracy. Each state has a different set of cultures and a different political background and in the new proposal, that is not being considered. Instead of that, what will happen is going to be a mechanical process of election and if not, the Central rule will be imposed by dismissing elected governments which will destroy democracy,” Vijayan said in a statement.
The chief minister claimed that this was part of a larger hidden agenda by tinkering with the hallowed federal polity to give the Centre absolute powers.
“It appears that the ruling BJP is yet to learn from the Lok Sabha poll reversal it suffered. Incidentally, it was just the other day that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was heard saying that during the term of the present government itself, the ‘One Nation One Election’ proposal will come into place and the very next day, all saw the Union cabinet approved the proposal submitted by the (former president) Ram Nath Kovind Committee,” he added.
The state’s opposition Congress also criticised the move.
Senior Congress legislator and former state Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the proposed change is nothing but just tactics being employed by the Modi government to distract attention from the country’s burning issues.
“For this to become a reality, this has to be passed with a two-thirds majority in both houses of the Parliament and the fact of the matter is that the BJP doesn’t even have the necessary strength to rule on its own… It’s at this time, they are coming out with this,” he said.
Impossible to Implement
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the proposal is not only against the federal structure but also practically impossible to implement.
“The fact that such an important proposal is being rushed through without any consultation with opposition parties reveals the malicious intent of the Narendra Modi government,” the chief minister said.
It seems, he said, that the Union government and the prime minister lack even the basic knowledge of what should be the priorities of a government.
“Unemployment is rampant across the country, inflation is destabilising the economy, and people are suffering due to rising prices of essential commodities,” he said.
He said that law and order has broken down nationwide, with atrocities against Dalits and women reaching alarming levels.
“Instead of addressing these pressing issues, the prime minister is trying to divert public attention with the gimmick of ‘One Nation, One Election’ to cover up his failures,” Siddaramaiah said.
“Our party will oppose this proposal, which carries the hidden agenda of the ruling BJP, both inside and outside the Parliament. Public opinion across the country is also against the ‘One Nation, One Election’ system,” Siddaramaiah maintained.
He added that the system is entirely anti-democratic, adding that the proposal offers no solution to the crisis that would arise if the ruling party in either the Lok Sabha or a state assembly loses a vote of confidence.
“In such cases, a midterm election is the only proper solution. Allowing a minority party that has failed to win a vote of confidence to remain in power would be a betrayal of the democratic system,” he stated.
“Our current Election Commission does not have the capacity or resources to conduct simultaneous elections for both the Lok Sabha and state assemblies across the entire country. The electoral system would need to be expanded to double its current capacity, which cannot be done in haste,” the chief minister said.
He added that for a new electoral system to be implemented, amendments must first be made to the Representation of the People Act.
“In addition, at least five chapters of the Constitution would need to be amended. Even for the NDA (National Democratic Alliance), it would be difficult to get the necessary support to pass constitutional amendments under the current system. Despite knowing all this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has approved this proposal just to create confusion among the people and cover up its failures,” the chief minister said.
Not Feasible
Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the concept is not feasible in our “Constitution and democratic system”.
“It is ridiculous that the BJP, the mastermind behind ‘Operation Lotus’, is now advocating for ‘One Nation, One Election’,” Shivakumar said.
Interacting with the media, he said the BJP has been working to destabilise governments in many states. The Central government led by the BJP is making this move to suppress the growth of regional parties, he added.
“All parties in the country must be given an opportunity. In the past, we did have a ‘One Nation, One Election’ system. Even in our state, elections were held together. Was it possible after that? No, it wasn’t. Because some governments went to elections six and three months earlier than the rest, and some states dissolved their governments. In such a scenario, how can this system be implemented?
“The BJP’s attempt is not right. The Central government should call for an all-party meeting to seek consensus. Without that, such proposals are meaningless,” the senior Congress leader said.
“First, they should take steps regarding women’s reservations and the delimitation of constituencies. As for the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal, we agree with the meaningful statements of AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi,” he said.
RSS Agenda
Shivanand Tiwari, the Rashtria Janata Dal (RJD) national Vice President, said the proposal is part of an RSS agenda which the BJP is attempting to implement in the country.
Tiwari argued that the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal challenges the country’s federal structure.
Responding to the NDA’s claim that simultaneous elections would reduce the financial burden, Tiwari said: “While BJP leaders boast about India will become the world’s third-largest economy, with a multi-trillion-dollar economy and while numerous billionaires have come up under the Modi government, can our country not afford the estimated Rs 4,500 crores required to sustain its democratic processes?”
He emphasised that states like Bihar and Tamil Nadu have significant differences in tradition, culture, language, and infrastructure. He argued that each state faces unique challenges, making separate state elections necessary so people can choose their respective governments.
Tiwari said the system is not feasible which is why the RJD consistently opposes the concept.
He further claimed that the BJP introduced the ‘One Nation, One Election’ concept due to uncertainty about its performance in the next election.
“The BJP aimed to win over 400 seats in the Lok Sabha, however, it only managed to secure around 240 seats. The ‘One Nation, One Election’ concept aligns with the RSS’s long-standing ideology of promoting one nation, one language, one leader, one election,” he said.
“This idea originally stemmed from Jan Sangh and was proposed in 1962, including a plan to merge states and govern through a unified administration. The BJP is appointing governors in states who obstruct the functioning of elected governments and using central investigating agencies against opposition leaders. Their ultimate goal is to centralise power under one leader and one flag,” Tiwari said.
The ‘One Nation One Election Concept’ proposes simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and other legislative bodies in the country. — IANS
