BENGALURU: The ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal approved by the Union Cabinet is against the federal structure and practically impossible to implement, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said.
Siddaramaiah said that PM Narendra Modi is trying to divert public attention to cover up his failures. Unemployment is rampant across the country, people are suffering owing to rising prices of essential commodities, and law and order has broken down nationwide, with atrocities against Dalits and women reaching alarming levels, the CM said. Terming it as anti-democratic, Siddaramaiah said that the Congress will oppose the proposal, both inside and outside Parliament.
“For a new electoral system to be implemented, amendments must first be made to the Representation of the People Act. In addition, at least five chapters of the Constitution would need to be amended. Even for the NDA, it would be difficult to get the necessary support to pass Constitutional amendments under the current system,” he said.
Dy CM DK Shivakumar said such a thing was not possible in a democratic setup. Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar said that this was another attempt to prevent the growth of regional parties. “The BJP should call for an all-party meeting and seek the opinion of all parties. Unless it does so, these proposals are pointless,” he said.
It’ll reduce undue burden on exchequer: BJP
Senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in Assembly R Ashoka said ‘One Nation, One Election’ is a step towards streamlining the electoral process. The simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and the Assemblies will reduce the undue burden on the public exchequer and will pave the way for political parties and elected representatives to focus on governance, he said. Ashoka reminded Siddaramaiah that he had supported the idea of simultaneous elections in 2016. “Unfortunately, a senior leader like him is reduced to a situation where you has to go against his conscience to continue in power,” the BJP leader posted on ‘X’.
Calling it historic, state BJP chief BY Vijayendra said once the proposal becomes a reality, it will not only save time, it will also save thousands of crores of Rupees.