Opposition raises concerns over simultaneous polls; BJP, allies welcome it

New Delhi, Dec 12: Opposition parties raised concerns on Thursday 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 the opposition, and said, "They are in a habit to oppose everything."

Union Minister Chirag Paswan, the leader of BJP's ally Lok Janshakti Party (RV), came out strongly in support of simultaneous polls, saying it is in national interest. "It will boost development," he told reporters.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared a letter that was written by party president Mallikarjun Kharge earlier this year to Niten Chandra, the secretary of the High-Level Committee on 'One Nation One Election' headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind.

"The Union Cabinet has cleared the bill on 'One Nation One Election'. The views of the Indian National Congress on this subject were forcefully articulated by its President Mallikarjun Kharge Ji on January 17, 2024. Nothing has happened since then to modify them," he said. Ramesh shared Kharge's letter where he strongly opposed the idea of holding simultaneous elections in the country and said it goes against the guarantees of federalism and the basic structure of the Constitution.

The Congress chief had also demanded that the idea be abandoned and the high-powered committee formed in this regard be dissolved.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai questioned if the plan can be implemented in reality.

"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?" he posed.

"Jammu and Kashmir 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 the government has some solution it can be discussed, but in the 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 that it is opposed to simultaneous polls. "The entire opposition is against it," he said.

CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member John Brittas said the move was 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 the issues plaguing the electoral system. If they were so keen on one election, why did they segregate the elections 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 comprehensively," he said.

Siva questioned what would happen if a government came 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 said.

Hitting out the Union government, Punjab Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann asked, "Why don't they hold 'one nation, one education' and provide health to all in the nation? They just want to go ahead with 'one nation, one election', but the issues of smaller and regional parties will remain buried," he told reporters in the Parliament complex.

Citing the recent assembly elections and bypolls, he said, "Why did they not hold elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand in one go? Why did they hold Jharkhand elections in two phases when there are only 80 seats?"