HT Digital,
New Delhi, Jan 19: The Indian National Congress (INC) on Friday strongly opposed the ‘one nation one election’ proposal put forth by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), terming it ‘undemocratic’ and against the principles of federalism and the Constitution.
INC president Mallikarjun Kharge called for the dissolution of the committee formed to study the feasibility of the proposed system in a 140 crore population country. The committee, headed by former Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, was criticized by Kharge for its ‘biased’ composition and for not consulting opposition parties.
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Kharge also dismissed the argument that simultaneous elections would result in financial savings, stating that election expenses account for less than 0.02% of the total Union Budget in the past five years.
He urged the government, parliament, and Election Commission of India (ECI) to respect people’s mandate rather than divert attention with ‘undemocratic’ ideas.
The ‘one nation one election’ proposal seeks to hold national and state elections concurrently, a practice prevalent from 1951-52 to 1967, to reduce government and stakeholder expenses, and minimize disruptions in developmental work.
