The Cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the ‘one nation, one election’ plan on Wednesday, which aims to synchronize Lok Sabha and state assembly elections on a single calendar. According to reports, the ‘one nation, one election’ Bill is expected to be tabled at the forthcoming winter session of Parliament.
The development occurred after a high-level panel led by former President Ram Nath Kovind delivered its report to the Union Cabinet on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day address last month advocated for ‘one nation, one election,’ arguing that frequent elections create impediments to the country’s progress.
What Is ‘One Nation, One Election’ & How It Can Work
The idea of ‘one nation, one election’ refers to holding simultaneous elections across the country, which means, that the polls for Lok Sabha and state assemblies will be held together.
The idea of ‘one nation, one election’ was first proposed in the 1980s. The Justice BP Jeevan Reddy-headed Law Commission said in its 170th Report in May 1999 that “we must go back to the situation where the elections to Lok Sabha and all the Legislative Assemblies are held at once”.
The elections for the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies were held simultaneously in 1951-52, 1957, 1962 and 1967. However, the cycle of state assemblies was disrupted due to the premature dissolution of assemblies. The Lok Sabha was also dissolved early in 1970.
Opposition Opposes ‘One Nation, One Election’
Many opposition parties including the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and Shiv Sena (UBT) opposed it ‘one nation, one election’, alleging that the BJP was proposing simultaneous elections to replace the parliamentary form of government with a presidential system.
TMC MP Derek O’Brien attacked the federal government for its support of the idea, saying, “One nation, one election is just another cheap stunt from the anti-democratic BJP.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi spearheaded the BJP’s appeal for ‘one nation, one election’. In reality, the saffron party pledged simultaneous polling in its manifesto for the upcoming elections.
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Source: NEWS18
