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Is 'one nation, one election' proposal a call for early Lok Sabha polls?

2023-09-09 00:00:00.0 铸币报-政治原网页

The Centre on Friday announced that it is exploring options around ‘one nation, one election’, and if that happens then we might expect an early election.

Sources close to the development, told news agency PTI, a committee has been constituted to explore the feasibility of "one nation, one election". The committee will be Ram Nath Kovind. It will analyze whether it is possible to conduct the Lok Sabha polls with a string of state assembly contests.

Kovind will explore the feasibility of the exercise and the mechanism to see as to how the country can go back to having simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, as was the case till 1967, said the sources

He is expected to speak to experts and may also consult leaders of different political parties, they said.

Meanwhile, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minsiter Pralhad Joshi said “Right now, a committee has been constituted. A report of the committee will come out which be discussed. The Parliament is mature, and discussions will take place, there is no need to get nervous...India is called the mother of democracy, there is evolution…I will discuss the agenda of the Special session of Parliament"

Assembly polls are due in five states- Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Rajasthan- in November-December and they are scheduled to be followed by the Lok Sabha elections in May-June next year. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh assemblies are scheduled to go to the polls with the Lok Sabha elections.

The speculations around early Lok Sabha is also rife as the new announcement came only a day after Centre called a special session of Parliament between September 18 and 22, the agenda for which is under wraps.

Why Opposition is protesting ‘one nation, one election’?

However, the opposition has spoken against the ‘one nation, one election’ saying ‘BJP is afraid of INDIA which is why they made this move’

Commenting on the issue, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said, “The country is already one, is anyone questioning that? We demand fair election, not 'one nation one election'. This funda of 'one nation one election' is being brought to divert the attention from our demand of fair election."

Meanwhile, Congress leader Bhai Jagtap added, “There is an imperative need for a lot of discussion on this (one nation, one election). However, this proves that BJP is afraid of INDIA which is why they made this move."

Since coming to power in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a strong votary for the idea of simultaneous polls, which include those at local bodies, citing financial burden caused by almost continuous election cycle and jolt to development work during the polling period.

Kovind too had echoed Modi's view and expressed his support to the idea after becoming President in 2017.

(With agency inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sanchari Ghosh

Sanchari Ghosh is a Chief Content Producer with LiveMint. She covers news, human interest, epidemiology and personal finance stories