A committee for giving “time-bound” suggestions on the issue of ‘one nation, one election’ will be set up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced Wednesday after a meeting of chiefs of political parties.
In a bid to build a consensus on holding simultaneous pollsto the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, Prime Minister Modi convened the meetingof presidents of all political parties for which 40 were invited. 21 partiesattended the meeting while three shared their views on the subject in writing.
Addressing mediapersons after the meeting, Singh, who moderated the gathering, said mostparties supported the ‘one nation, one election’ idea.’
However, Left parties such as the CPI and the CPI-M had”difference of opinion” on how the exercise of joint elections willbe held and that they were “not opposed (to the idea)”, he said.
Among the notable absentees were Congress president RahulGandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee, BSP supremoMayawati, SP president Akhilesh Yadav, DMK’s M K Stalin, TRS chief KChandrashekhar Rao, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and Delhi Chief Ministerand Aam Admi Party(AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
TRS was represented by its working president K T Rama Rao.”Most of the parties supported ‘one nation one election’. There was somedifference of opinion from CPI (M) and CPI that how it will be done. And bothLeft parties didn’t directly oppose it rather expressed apprehensions that howit will be implemented,” he said adding, “Prime Minister will form acommittee which will hold discussions with all stake holders in a time-boundmanner.”
According to sources,this panel is likely to be political in nature that will include leaders fromvarious political parties.
Rajnath Singh said PM Modi made it clear at the meeting thatthe “simultaneous polls is not government’s agenda and that it is thenation’s agenda.”
Quoting PM Modi, Singh said he told presidents of thepolitical parties that if there is any difference of opinion it is welcome.
PM Modi had invitedthe heads of all political parties which have at least one member either in theLok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha for the meeting to discuss several issues,including the “one nation, one election” idea, celebration of 75years of Independence in 2022 and the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhithis year.
Singh said on the issue of increasing the productivity ofParliament all parties were in agreement on this. Those leaders who werepresent in the meeting were of the opinion that there should be cordialatmosphere for communication and discussion in the House.
Leaders of various parties emphasised that the younggeneration should be aware about the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, Singh said.
Those who attended the meeting included NCP leader SharadPawar, CPI-M’s Sitaram Yechury, CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy, BiharChief Minister and JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar, SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal,Odisha Chief Minister and BJD leader Naveen Patnaik and National People’s Partyleader Conard Sangma.
PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti, National Conference president DrFarooq Abdullah and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owais also attended.
Besides PM Modi andSingh, the government was represented by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, hiscabinet colleagues Nitin Gadkari and Pralhad Joshi. BJP’s new working presidentJP Nadda was also present.
Mayawati tweeted on Tuesday that she would have attended theAPM if it was on electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Yechury opposes simultaneous polls
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Yechury describedthe concept of simultaneous polls as “anti-democracy andanti-federalism” and said “the BJP is trying to bring in presidentform of government structure through back door.”
On celebrations of 150 years of birth anniversary of MahatmaGandhi, Yechury said the best tribute to the father of nation could be bytaking stringent action against those who are glorifying his assassin andenacting a strong law against mob lynching.
BJD’s Naveen Patnaik, who supported the government’s idea ofsimultaneous polls, demanded the inclusion of the words peace and non-violencein the preamble of the Constitution.
Sources said that the Opposition parties want properdiscussion before going ahead with simultaneous polls.
Last August, the Law Commission had recommended holdingsimultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies to save publicmoney.
The draft, submitted to the Law Ministry, however, cautionedthat “holding simultaneous elections is not possible within the existingframework of the Constitution”.
The Centre has been toying with the idea for quite some timenow.
“The Prime Minister called for widespread debate andconsultations on simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas,keeping in view various aspects such as the resulting financial savings andconsequent better utilisation of resources,” an official release said lastweek after PM Modi addressed a NITI Aayog meeting.The government think-tank, NITI Aayog, last yearsuggested synchronised two-phase Lok Sabha and Assembly polls from 2024 toensure minimum campaign-mode disruption to governance.