NEW DELHI: Asserting that the idea of ‘one nation, one election’ (ONOE) is not practical, the Congress on Wednesday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) invokes such matters to divert attention from the real issues when elections approach.
“It is not practical. It will not work. When elections come and they don’t have issues to talk about, then they divert attention from real issues by mentioning ‘one nation, one election,” Congress president Mallikarajun Kharge at a press conference.
In response, Vaishnaw said, “The opposition might start feeling internal pressure (about One Nation One Election) as more than 80% of respondents who participated in the consultation process have expressed positive support, particularly the youth, who are very much in favour of this.”
His remark was in response to the approval given to the proposal for ‘one nation, one election’ as recommended by the Kovind panel by the Cabinet on Wednesday.
The panel headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind had submitted the report in March ahead of the announcement of Lok Sabha elections. Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the report was approved unanimously by the Cabinet.
Later, Kharge said that the country would not accept the proposal.
“One Nation, One Election is only a BJP issue to divert attention. This is against the constitution, This is against democracy, This is against federalism. The country will never accept this,” he posted on ‘X.’
Senior Congress leader and former deputy chief minister T S Singhdeo said, “It is only a strategy of political convenience, and what I can see is nothing beyond that. The same party which is governing the country as part of the NDA has been talking about this for the past few years.”
Leader of opposition parties also termed the ‘ONOE’ ‘unrealistic’.
“One Nation, One Election is an impractical and unrealistic idea in our constitutional setting. CPI has consistently opposed this homogenising notion and we have made detailed representations against ONOE, first before the Law Commission of India and then before the Ramnath Kovind Committee,” said general secretary of Communist Party of India (CPI) D Raja.
“Makers of the Constitution were aware of India’s diversity and envisaged a federal polity. They also provided for the Election Commission of India as a permanent body, anticipating multiple and frequent elections, deriving its authority directly from Article 324 of the Constitution. One Nation, One Election goes against this vision and curtails state rights. For these reasons, the CPI is in opposition to the imposition of ONOE,” he wrote on twitter.
Rajya Sabha MP of Trinamool Congress (TMC) Saket Gokhale said that the announcement sounds like another attempt by the Narendra Modi Government to try and “set a narrative” since they are bankrupt of any progressive ideas.
