NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed Union Cabinet's nod to "one nation, one election," and said that the move is an important step towards making country's democracy even more vibrant and participative.
Taking to X, PM Modi heaped praise on former President Ram Nath Kovind who headed the panel and said, "The Cabinet has accepted the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on simultaneous elections. I compliment our former President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind Ji for spearheading this effort and consulting a wide range of stakeholders."
"This is an important step towards making our democracy even more vibrant and participative," the Prime Minister added.
The opposition, however, slammed the Modi government and called the Cabinet move on "one nation, one election" a "cheap stunt". The Congress has called it an impractical idea which will be impossible to implement in country like India.
'Not practical,' says Congress
Reiterating his stance, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that holding simultaneous elections is "impractical" and said that the elections should be called whenever necessary to maintain democracy.
"It is not practical. It will not work. When elections come, and they are not getting any issues to raise, then they divert attention from real issues," Kharge said
"Elections should be held whenever necessary in a democracy," he added.
Congress leader KC Venugopal asserted that the INDIA bloc is against the decision to hold simultaneous elections and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of diverting the people's attention from the real issues as the state elections approach.
"One nation, one election is not at all practical in this country. They ( BJP ) also know about that. They want to divert attention from the present issues. INDIA alliance is not in favor of it," Venugopal said.
'Solution in search of a problem': Owaisi accuses BJP of destroying federalism and democracy
Taking to X, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi claimed that 'one nation, one election' will destroy federalism and democracy and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have problems with multiple elections because of their "compulsive need to campaign in even municipal and local body elections.
"I have consistently opposed One Nation One Elections because it is a solution in search of a problem. It destroys federalism and compromises democracy, which are part of the basic structure of the constitution," Owaisi said.
"Multiple elections aren’t a problem for anyone except Modi & Shah. Just because they have a compulsive need to campaign in even municipal & local body elections does not mean that we need simultaneous polls. Frequent & periodic elections improve democratic accountability," he added.
'Another cheap stunt': TMC on one nation one election
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien claimed that the decision to hold simultaneous elections is just "another cheap stunt" of the BJP. Taking a swipe at the Centre, O'Brien said that the government at the Centre cannot organise elections in three states at one go but talks about 'one nation, one election'.
"One nation, one election is just another cheap stunt from the anti-democratic BJP. Why were Maharashtra elections not announced along with elections in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir? Here's why. The Maharashtra government announced the Ladki Bahin scheme in the budget this June," O'Brien said.
"And also tell us, how many constitutional amendments, including curtailing or extending terms of state assemblies, will be done! Classic Modi-Shah Jumla," he added.
BJP says simultaneous elections needed for development; allies welcome move
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party hailed the cabinet decision and said simultaneous elections were needed for the development of the country and to maintain law and order.
Union minister Giriraj Singh said, "PM Narendra Modi was always in favor of one nation, one election. Discussions were held with all previous Chief Justices, political leaders, political parties, and chamber of commerce, and today finally the cabinet has approved the recommendations."
"One nation, one election is needed for the development of the country and also to maintain law and order... Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi should tell whether one nation one election was in place before 1966," he added.
Union minister Ashwini Vaishnav also welcomed the government's decision and said this will strengthen the country's democracy.
"A large number of political parties across the political spectrum have actually supported the One Nation One Election initiative. When they interact with high-level meetings, they give their input in a very succinct manner and with a lot of clarity. Our government believes in creating a consensus on items which affect democracy and the nation in the long run. This is a subject, a topic that will strengthen our nation," Vaishnaw said.
Refuting Kharge's remark calling 'one nation, one election' "impractical", Vaisnaw said, "The opposition might start feeling internal pressure (about one nation, one election) as more than 80 per cent of respondents who responded during consultant process have given their positive support, especially the youth, they are very much in favour of this."
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan also lauded government's move towards the electoral reform and said that holding simultaneous elections across the country will reduce the election expense and simplify the role of paramilitary forces, police and administrative officials.
Taking to X, Paswan said, "By approving the proposal, the Central Cabinet has taken a significant and historic step in the national interest today. 'One Nation, One Election' will strengthen the country's democratic process, reduce election expenses, and accelerate development activities. Additionally, it will increase transparency in elections and lessen the economic burden on the government treasury. From a security perspective, it will simplify the role of paramilitary forces, police, and administrative officials in elections."
"My leader and father, the revered Ram Vilas Paswan, also supported the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal, and my party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), supports this proposal," he added.
Janta Dal (United) leader Sanjay Jha extended support for the move and said “JDU lends its full support to the one nation-one election plan of the NDA. By doing so, the country will not only get rid of frequent elections but also the Centre will focus on stable policies and evidence-based reforms”.
Shiv Sena also backed the move and said that the measure will foster national unity by synchronizing the election process.
"The initiative is expected to bring down enormous election-related costs and avoid the policy paralysis that occurs when various elections overlap. By holding simultaneous elections, the nation can focus on its long-term goals of economic and social development, ensuring that governance remains effective throughout elected terms," Party MP Shrikant Shinde said.
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati also supported government's move and said, "Our party's stance on the proposal approved today by the Central Cabinet to conduct simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha, State Assemblies, and local bodies under the 'one nation, one election' system is positive, but it is essential that its purpose serves the nation and public interest."
The Cabinet nod came a day after home minister Amit Shah said that 'one nation, one election' will be implemented within the next five years during the tenure of Modi government 3.0. "The government plans to implement one nation one poll within the tenure of this government," he said addressing a press conference on Tuesday.
In his Independence Day address last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also pitched for 'one nation, one election,' emphasizing that frequent elections were slowing down the country's development. "The nation has to come forward for 'one nation, one election'," Modi had urged during his speech from the Red Fort, encouraging political parties to support this initiative for the nation.
Taking to X, PM Modi heaped praise on former President Ram Nath Kovind who headed the panel and said, "The Cabinet has accepted the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on simultaneous elections. I compliment our former President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind Ji for spearheading this effort and consulting a wide range of stakeholders."
The Cabinet has accepted the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections. I compliment our former President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind Ji for spearheading this effort and consulting a wide range of stakeholders.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 18, 2024
This is an important step towards making our…
"This is an important step towards making our democracy even more vibrant and participative," the Prime Minister added.
The opposition, however, slammed the Modi government and called the Cabinet move on "one nation, one election" a "cheap stunt". The Congress has called it an impractical idea which will be impossible to implement in country like India.
'Not practical,' says Congress
Reiterating his stance, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that holding simultaneous elections is "impractical" and said that the elections should be called whenever necessary to maintain democracy.
"It is not practical. It will not work. When elections come, and they are not getting any issues to raise, then they divert attention from real issues," Kharge said
"Elections should be held whenever necessary in a democracy," he added.
Congress leader KC Venugopal asserted that the INDIA bloc is against the decision to hold simultaneous elections and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of diverting the people's attention from the real issues as the state elections approach.
"One nation, one election is not at all practical in this country. They ( BJP ) also know about that. They want to divert attention from the present issues. INDIA alliance is not in favor of it," Venugopal said.
'Solution in search of a problem': Owaisi accuses BJP of destroying federalism and democracy
Taking to X, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi claimed that 'one nation, one election' will destroy federalism and democracy and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have problems with multiple elections because of their "compulsive need to campaign in even municipal and local body elections.
I have consistently opposed #OneNationOneElections because it is a solution in search of a problem. It destroys federalism and compromises democracy, which are part of the basic structure of the constitution.
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) September 18, 2024
Multiple elections aren’t a problem for anyone except Modi & Shah.…
"I have consistently opposed One Nation One Elections because it is a solution in search of a problem. It destroys federalism and compromises democracy, which are part of the basic structure of the constitution," Owaisi said.
"Multiple elections aren’t a problem for anyone except Modi & Shah. Just because they have a compulsive need to campaign in even municipal & local body elections does not mean that we need simultaneous polls. Frequent & periodic elections improve democratic accountability," he added.
'Another cheap stunt': TMC on one nation one election
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien claimed that the decision to hold simultaneous elections is just "another cheap stunt" of the BJP. Taking a swipe at the Centre, O'Brien said that the government at the Centre cannot organise elections in three states at one go but talks about 'one nation, one election'.
"One nation, one election is just another cheap stunt from the anti-democratic BJP. Why were Maharashtra elections not announced along with elections in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir? Here's why. The Maharashtra government announced the Ladki Bahin scheme in the budget this June," O'Brien said.
"And also tell us, how many constitutional amendments, including curtailing or extending terms of state assemblies, will be done! Classic Modi-Shah Jumla," he added.
BJP says simultaneous elections needed for development; allies welcome move
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party hailed the cabinet decision and said simultaneous elections were needed for the development of the country and to maintain law and order.
Union minister Giriraj Singh said, "PM Narendra Modi was always in favor of one nation, one election. Discussions were held with all previous Chief Justices, political leaders, political parties, and chamber of commerce, and today finally the cabinet has approved the recommendations."
"One nation, one election is needed for the development of the country and also to maintain law and order... Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi should tell whether one nation one election was in place before 1966," he added.
Union minister Ashwini Vaishnav also welcomed the government's decision and said this will strengthen the country's democracy.
"A large number of political parties across the political spectrum have actually supported the One Nation One Election initiative. When they interact with high-level meetings, they give their input in a very succinct manner and with a lot of clarity. Our government believes in creating a consensus on items which affect democracy and the nation in the long run. This is a subject, a topic that will strengthen our nation," Vaishnaw said.
Refuting Kharge's remark calling 'one nation, one election' "impractical", Vaisnaw said, "The opposition might start feeling internal pressure (about one nation, one election) as more than 80 per cent of respondents who responded during consultant process have given their positive support, especially the youth, they are very much in favour of this."
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan also lauded government's move towards the electoral reform and said that holding simultaneous elections across the country will reduce the election expense and simplify the role of paramilitary forces, police and administrative officials.
Taking to X, Paswan said, "By approving the proposal, the Central Cabinet has taken a significant and historic step in the national interest today. 'One Nation, One Election' will strengthen the country's democratic process, reduce election expenses, and accelerate development activities. Additionally, it will increase transparency in elections and lessen the economic burden on the government treasury. From a security perspective, it will simplify the role of paramilitary forces, police, and administrative officials in elections."
#OneNationOneElection के प्रस्ताव को मंजूरी देकर केंद्रीय कैबिनेट ने आज देशहित में एक बड़ा और ऐतिहासिक कदम उठाया है। 'एक देश, एक चुनाव' देश की लोकतांत्रिक प्रक्रिया को और सशक्त बनाएगा, चुनावी खर्च कम करेगा और विकास कार्यों में तेजी लाएगा। साथ ही, चुनावों में पारदर्शिता बढ़ेगी और… pic.twitter.com/srzCR23VNu
— युवा बिहारी चिराग पासवान (@iChiragPaswan) September 18, 2024
"My leader and father, the revered Ram Vilas Paswan, also supported the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal, and my party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), supports this proposal," he added.
Janta Dal (United) leader Sanjay Jha extended support for the move and said “JDU lends its full support to the one nation-one election plan of the NDA. By doing so, the country will not only get rid of frequent elections but also the Centre will focus on stable policies and evidence-based reforms”.
Shiv Sena also backed the move and said that the measure will foster national unity by synchronizing the election process.
"The initiative is expected to bring down enormous election-related costs and avoid the policy paralysis that occurs when various elections overlap. By holding simultaneous elections, the nation can focus on its long-term goals of economic and social development, ensuring that governance remains effective throughout elected terms," Party MP Shrikant Shinde said.
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati also supported government's move and said, "Our party's stance on the proposal approved today by the Central Cabinet to conduct simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha, State Assemblies, and local bodies under the 'one nation, one election' system is positive, but it is essential that its purpose serves the nation and public interest."
The Cabinet nod came a day after home minister Amit Shah said that 'one nation, one election' will be implemented within the next five years during the tenure of Modi government 3.0. "The government plans to implement one nation one poll within the tenure of this government," he said addressing a press conference on Tuesday.
In his Independence Day address last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also pitched for 'one nation, one election,' emphasizing that frequent elections were slowing down the country's development. "The nation has to come forward for 'one nation, one election'," Modi had urged during his speech from the Red Fort, encouraging political parties to support this initiative for the nation.
