THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government and the Opposition have hit out at the Union Cabinet’s nod to the ‘one nation, one election’ proposal. While the CPI called it an ‘anti-federal’ move, the BJP termed the opposition towards holding simultaneous elections across the country as prompted by ‘narrow political interests’.
In a statement, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the Union Cabinet’s nod was part of the agenda to neutralise the federal system and to give absolute power to the Centre.
“The Sangh Parivar is trying to change the electoral politics in the country into a presidential form,” Pinarayi alleged.
Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan called the ‘one nation, one election’ proposal ‘impractical’ for Indian democracy. “Narendra Modi and Sangh Parivar are trying to concentrate full power to themselves,” Satheesan alleged.
In a statement, the CPI parliamentary party said the RSS wanted to impose homogeneity in all spheres of life. “After one tax, one language, one culture, one religion, they are trying to move in the direction of one election, one party and one leader,” the party said.
Meanwhile, former Union Minister and senior BJP leader V Muraleedharan said the ‘one nation, one election’ plan showed the foresightedness of Naredra Modi towards the nation’s development. “It should be remembered that various elections were held together in the country till 1967,” he said.