Jodhpur (Rajasthan) [India], December 15 (ANI): Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Sunday backed the “One Nation, One Election” proposal saying, the need of the hour as frequent elections waste a lot of time and money.
Speaking to ANI, Union Minister said, “‘ One Nation One Election’ is the need of the hour and frequent elections waste a lot of time and money. It also hampers the development. The public and people involved in the election machinery have been demanding the implementation of the One Nation One Election from the government”
Several opposition leaders have questioned the One Nation One election proposal saying it was impractical and an attack on federalism.
Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijay Singh said, ‘One Nation, One Election’ states that if a State government falls in six months or loses its majority, will the State have to remain without a government for the rest of the 4.5 years?”
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh demanded that the proposed ‘One Nation, One Election’ bill be sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee, asserting that the bill undermines democracy.
“The bill will be presented in Parliament, and we want it to be referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which will hold discussions on it. The Indian National Congress’s position was clarified last year by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, who sent a four-page letter to former President Ram Nath Kovind’s committee on One Nation, One Election, stating that we oppose the bill,” Ramesh told ANI.
On December 12, the ‘One Nation One Election’ bill was approved by the Union Cabinet paving the way for its introduction in Parliament. However, before its introduction in the Parliament, the bill initiated debate between the ruling and opposition parties.
Several parties of the INDIA bloc opposed the bill while the BJP-led NDA alliance parties welcomed this bill, saying, it would save time and lay the groundwork for unified elections across the country.
Notably, in September this year, the Union Cabinet approved the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal, which aims to hold simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, along with urban body and panchayat polls, within a span of 100 days.
The recommendations were outlined in a report by a high-level panel chaired by former President Kovind.
Following the Cabinet’s approval, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the decision, calling it a significant step towards enhancing India’s democracy. (ANI)
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