Patna: Taking a clear stand on the ‘One Nation, One Election’ plan, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) extended its support to its ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP). JDU national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan on Tuesday stated that the party is in support of the plan as it would be beneficial for the nation’s holistic development.
“JD(U) lends its full support to the ‘One Nation, One Election’ plan of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), of which JD(U) is a part,” Ranjan said on Tuesday. Magnifying the issue of hurdles while conducting frequent elections, Ranjan said that such obstacles hinder development as a huge chunk of public money is spent on polls.
If elections are held simultaneously (Lok Sabha and State Assembly), then the expenditure of the state exchequer will be reduced, helping the Centre focus on 'stable policies and evidence-based reforms', he added.
पीएम श्री @narendramodi जी ने बताया कि देश के लिए क्यों जरूरी है One Nation, One Election. pic.twitter.com/oeLyqZUqKZ
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 15, 2024
Ranjan was also reminded of the fact that the JDU had always been in favour of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ plan. In February, it had supported the idea of the plan but rejected the idea of local body polls being synchronised together.
In support of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ plan, a JD(U) delegation comprising former JD(U) national president, Lalan Singh and national general secretary Sanjay Jha met with former president Ram Nath Kovind and submitted a memorandum to the high-level committee.
The JD(U) also opined that holding simultaneous elections could boost voter turnout as citizens could participate in a single polling event, potentially leading to a more 'engaged electorate'.
“JD(U) would like to extend its support of having simultaneous elections in the House of People (Lok Sabha), state legislature together and the election for the third tier, that is, Panchayats and Municipalities should be held simultaneously but separately and not with the House of people and state legislature,” the memorandum had mentioned.
In his Independence Day speech on August 15, PM Modi vouched for the conduction of simultaneous elections, arguing that holding polls too often slackens the nation's progress.
Request everyone to come together to achieve resolve of 'one nation, one election': PM Modi in his Independence Day speech. pic.twitter.com/KzG6ZZPDb5
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 15, 2024
During its third term, the BJP had pledged in its electoral campaign to carry out the "One Nation, One Election" programme. As the first 100 days of the PM Modi 3.0 government come to an end on September 17, according to sources, the BJP is keen to keep its five-year pledge to hold simultaneous elections.
Meanwhile, two days ago, Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led NDA government over the implementation of the 'one nation, one election' plan, saying it is not possible under the present Constitution and requires at least five Constitutional amendments.
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