A war of words broke out between the BJP and Congress over the implementation of One Nation One Election -- the idea of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies.
In Short
- BJP says One Nation One Election will improve governance efficiency
- Congress calls proposal a distraction and unconstitutional
- Experts debate on voter psychology, cost of holding simultaneous polls
One Nation One Election - the idea of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies - will save manhours and ensure smooth implementation of policy decisions, the BJP said on Thursday. The Congress hit back, calling the move a "weapon of mass distraction" and a "hot air balloon that will lead to its natural death".
Politicians from BJP and Congress and experts participated in the India Today Conclave Mumbai to express their views about the possibility of implementing One Nation One Election in the country. This comes days after the Union Cabinet cleared the proposal after a report from the high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind was placed before the Union Cabinet.
BJP VS CONGRESS
During the conclave, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia vouched for the One Nation One Election, saying that it would save people time and allow them to vote at one time instead of twice.
"The country is about governance and not about elections around the corner. Every year, five to six elections are held and policy decisions cannot be implemented smoothly because of the Model Code of Conduct that is in place," he said.
"The Congress led by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi dismissed opposition-ruled governments when the simultaneous elections were in place from 1951 to 1967," he added.
Hitting back at Bhatia, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate called the move a "direct assault" on the Constitution and said it was a "hot air balloon that would eventually die a natural death".
"This (One Nation One Election) will meet the same fate as the lateral entry bill and Waqf bill. I am fundamentally against this. This won't go through. You can not ensure Maharashtra and Haryana elections are held together and you are talking about One Nation One Election," she said.
Shrinate accused the BJP of attempting to "paint us in oneness" and cited the country's diverse culture and number of languages spoken in various states. "We are united not because we all speak one language. We are one because we are diverse and united together," she said.
Voicing similar sentiments, Mumbai Pradesh BJP Vice President Hitesh Jain said the Congress had supported One Nation One Election and claimed that INDIA partners would accept the idea soon.
"This is not an experiment. If you look at the historical precedence, our democratic journey began with One Nation One Election. The cycle broke when Jawaharlal Nehru dismissed the Kerala government and Indira Gandhi preponed the 4th general elections. The framers of the Constitution never wanted an assault on democracy," he said.
"The Congress had supported the idea of One Nation One Election in the past. Now, INDIA partners will support One Nation One Election very soon," he added.
EXPERTS WEIGH IN
Political analyst Amitabh Tiwari shared his take on One Nation One Election and said that split voting is rarely seen in simultaneous elections.
"In Maharashtra, for instance, there will be two EVMs instead of one - one for Lok Sabha and another for Assembly. But from a voter psychology perspective, a large number of people tend to press the same button, one for the MP and one for the MLA. But, we need to study this voter psychology perspective," he said.
He said that wider consultations were needed for the simultaneous elections to be implemented.
However, when asked if there was a possibility of holding less expensive elections, Association for Democratic Reforms founder Jagdeep Chhokar, said he found it painful that attempts are being made to put a monetary value on democracy.
"I get very disappointed and hurt when there are calls to hold elections with less money so that the money could be used for development. Elections are the only way to operationalise a democracy. If we want the cheapest possible elections, then we will have the cheapest possible democracy," he said.
Debunking concerns that Model Code of Conduct acts as a hindrance to governance, Chhokar said," The MCC says clearly that the government in power will not introduce any new schemes,which have the potential to influence the result of the election."
"If the government introduces a scheme 15-20 days before the election, they can seek the Election Commission's approval. Governance will not suffer due to MCC," he added.