New Delhi: With the Union Cabinet approving a bill to implement 'one nation, one election', the Congress on Thursday reiterated its opposition to the very idea of simultaneous polls and accused the government of trying to divert attention from "questions being raised on the electoral integrity of the democratic system". The opposition party also said that when the bill comes, it would want it to be sent to a joint committee of Parliament.
The ruling BJP on Thursday took a major step to implement its key plank of "one nation, one election" as the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the constitutional amendment bill to roll out the concept of simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls.
Two draft legislations, including one simple bill to amend provisions in laws dealing with three Union territories with legislative assemblies to align them with the Constitution amendment bill, were given the nod by the Cabinet.
Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said, "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."
Kharge, in a letter to the secretary of the high-level committee on 'One Nation, One Election' sent on January 17, had said, "The Indian National Congress is strongly opposed to the very idea of 'One Nation, One Election'." "For the sake of maintaining a thriving and robust democracy, it is imperative that the entire idea must be abandoned and the high-level committee dissolved," he added.
Ramesh told PTI that when the bill is presented in Parliament, the Congress wants it to be sent to a joint committee. Asked about the development, Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said in the past also, his party has raised many questions related to elections, electoral systems and electoral integrity.
"Now let this bill come, let us see what they are trying to do. But we have said in the past also there are many concerns among the INDIA bloc about the impact on the federal character of our country through this bill," Gogoi told PTI.
"PM Modi has not walked the talk, he talks of 'one nation, one election' and yet when it suits him... he does Haryana and Maharashtra elections separately. He does Gujarat elections separately. He does not even hold polls in states in one phase, he does it in five phases when it suits him," he said.
Gogoi said the people of India are very wise and understand that there are much larger questions that need to be raised with respect to the entire electoral process such as the role of election commissioners and their appointment. "I think they are only trying to divert from the questions that are being raised in people's minds with respect to the electoral integrity of our democratic system," he added.
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 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.
During the consultation process on the issue, 32 political parties supported the idea while 15 did not, according to former president Kovind, who headed the high-level committee that studied the proposal.
