The government has taken a significant step by creating a committee to study the idea of holding all elections in the country at the same time. This committee will be led by former President Ram Nath Kovind. The main goal of this committee is to see if it’s possible to implement the concept of ‘one nation, one election.’
On Thursday, the central government announced the formation of this committee, and there is speculation that they might introduce a bill related to ‘One Nation, One Election’ during a special session of Parliament scheduled from September 18 to 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been advocating for the idea of conducting both state and national elections simultaneously.
This move is expected to reduce the costs associated with conducting elections and also free up more time for governance.
Currently, assembly elections are planned in five states for November-December, followed by the Lok Sabha elections in May-June of the following year. However, the government’s recent actions have raised the possibility of advancing the general elections and some state polls that are scheduled to happen alongside the Lok Sabha elections.
Following this announcement, there have been various reactions. The BJP has hailed it as a historic step in the country’s interest.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, on the other hand, emphasized that no matter how many distractions the ruling government introduces, the people will not be deceived.
Shiv Sena leader and MP Sanjay Raut suggested that the government might be using ‘One Nation, One Election’ to delay addressing the Opposition’s demand for fair elections. He said, “While ‘One Nation, One Election’ is a good idea, it should ensure fairness. It seems like a conspiracy to delay fair elections.”
Congress leader Salman Khurshid pointed out that India’s electoral system is different from the American system, and it might be challenging to implement this concept.
Former Madhya Pradesh CM and Congress leader Kamal Nath highlighted the need for not only a constitutional amendment but also the approval of states to make this idea work. He mentioned that BJP-ruled states like Haryana and Maharashtra could decide to dissolve their assemblies, but it’s not as simple for all states.