Jodhpur: Vouching for 'One Nation, One Election' Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Sunday said it was the need of the hour as frequent elections waste a lot of time and money. He said elections should be held simultaneously in the country and voters and all those working in the election machinery have been expecting this from the government for years.
"'One Nation One Election' is the need of the hour and frequent elections waste a lot of time and money. It also hampers the development. The public and people involved in the election machinery have been demanding the implementation of it from the government," he said.
He was in Jodhpur to pay homage to Sardar Vallabbhai Patel on his death anniversary. A statue of the first home minister was recently inaugurated by incumbent Amit Shah
On the question of objections by the opposition, he said till now, no one has given any sharp reaction to the bill which has already been passed by the cabinet. "Once it's tabled in the Parliament, we will look into it during discussions. Certainly, this is the need of the country. Elections are becoming expensive and time is being wasted on it. Development work is getting hindered due to electoral machinery," he said.
On women's empowerment, Shekhawat said the safety of women is a priority for all. Along with increasing the safety and respect of women, under the leadership of PM Modi, all are moving ahead from women empowerment to women-led development. India had set the narrative before the world during its G20 presidency and worked with agility on this.
Several opposition leaders have questioned the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal terming it impractical and an attack on federalism. Veteran Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijay Singh said, "One Nation, One Election states that if a state government falls in six months or loses its majority on the floor, will the state have to remain without a government for the remnant years?"
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh demanded that the proposed 'One Nation, One Election' bill be sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), asserting that the bill undermines democracy.
"The bill will be presented in Parliament, and we want it to be referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which will hold discussions on it. The Congress' position was clarified last year by president Mallikarjun Kharge, who sent a four-page letter to former president Ram Nath Kovind's committee on 'One Nation, One Election', stating that we oppose the bill," he said.
On December 12, the 'One Nation One Election' bill was approved by the Union cabinet paving the way for its introduction in Parliament. However, before introduction, the bill sparked a debate between the ruling and opposition parties.
Several parties of the INDIA bloc opposed the bill while the BJP-led NDA allies welcomed it, saying, it would save time and lay the groundwork for unified elections across the country.
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