NEW DELHI: The first meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the ‘One Nation, One Election’ (ONOE) bills on Wednesday saw strong exchanges of opinion from both the opposition and ruling NDA’s members on simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies.
According to sources, several opposition MPs including Congress’ Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, DMK’s P Wilson and TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee questioned the claim that simultaneous polls cut expenditure. The 39-member committee is headed by former Union minister P P Chaudhary.
Priyanka asked if the Election Commission has any estimate on the cost of a general election after the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, when electronic voting machines (EVM) were used for the first time in all 543 parliamentary seats. She and DMK’s Wilson sought evidence to establish the claim that ONOE would cut cost. The opposition said the bills are an ‘attack on the basic structure of Constitution as well as federalism’.
Defending the bill, BJP MPs, including Anurag Thakur, argued that a continuous cycle of elections disrupts development and is a drain on the exchequer. NDA ally JD(U)’s Sanjay Jha recalled incidents of booth capturing in Bihar when ballot papers were in play, to pushback on demands to revert to that mode. However, Jha also expressed apprehensions, including whether a government elected for a short term would have the required governance focus that an incumbent with a five-year term has.
Earlier, in a letter to the panel chairman, DMK’s Wilson shared a slew of suggestions and concerns regarding the need for a rigorous, transparent and inclusive approach in the deliberations on the bill. “Extensive hearings should be conducted across all states and Union Territories, and the committee must prepare and share a detailed schedule outlining a systematic and inclusive consultation process,” he said.
Chaudhary earlier said, “We will make an effort to listen to all stakeholders.”
All get patient hearing
An opposition MP told this paper that adequate time was given to members to express their views irrespective of the political affiliation. “The chairman gave a patient hearing,” the member said.
YSR Congress changes stance
Vijayasai Reddy (YSR Congress) argued that ONOE will marginalise regional parties, dilute diversity of representation and focus on local issues. YSRCP had earlier backed ‘one poll’