PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) has extended its support to its ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ‘One Nation, One Election’ plan.
In a statement issued on Monday, JD(U) highlighted the benefits of the BJP's policy, stating that it would be beneficial for the nation’s overall development.
JD(U) national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad emphasised that frequent elections create hurdles in the country’s progress as a large amount of public money is spent on conducting them.
He said, “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.”
Prasad, who was appointed as the national spokesperson after senior party leader K C Tyagi resigned from the post, expressed confidence that voter turnout would increase if the ‘One Nation, One Election’ policy was implemented.
“JD(U) lends its full support to the ‘One Nation, One Election’ plan of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), of which JD(U) is a part,” he asserted.
The JD(U) leader also contended that any decisions related to development taken by the Centre would be implemented more effectively once the simultaneous election policy comes into effect.
JD(U)’s support comes in the wake of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government’s recent initiative to implement the ‘One Nation, One Election’ policy in its third term.
In his Independence Day address, PM Modi made a strong pitch for simultaneous elections, stating that frequent elections impede the country’s progress.
The BJP, in its election manifesto, had promised to implement the ‘One Nation, One Election’ plan during its third term. In March 2024, a high-level committee on the policy, led by former President Ram Nath Kovind, submitted its report supporting the idea.
Sources indicate that with the PM Modi 3.0 government set to complete its first 100 days on 17th September, the BJP is eager to fulfil its promise of simultaneous elections within the next five years.