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Bharatiya Janata Party MPs on Monday expressed their full support for the 'One Nation, One Election' bill, which aims to synchronise national and state elections, calling it a "very important bill."
'One Nation, One Election' bill, which provides for simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies is slated to be introduced in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The listed agenda of Lok Sabha for Tuesday includes the Constitution Amendment Bill concerning simultaneous elections. BJP Rajya Sabha MP Brij Lal welcomed the bill, noting that simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections used to be held until 1966. He pointed out that the current practice of holding elections throughout the year occupies security forces, who are then pulled from their duties at borders and law enforcement, and emphasised that the bill would save time and resources, helping to accelerate development. "We welcome this bill. The first Lok Sabha elections took place in 1952. Till 1966, the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections happened simultaneously. Now the elections go on for the whole year. Our forces have to look after law and order and the borders. All our forces are occupied, but they are called from there and deployed for elections. The Code of Conduct is imposed, holding all the development projects. Now one nation, one election would be implemented, which would save time and money, and the development will accelerate," Lal said. Rajya Sabha MP Rekha Sharma also supported the bill, highlighting its potential to save money, resources, and time, and expressed that the savings could be used for development and infrastructure projects. "This is a very important bill, and it will save a lot of money, resources, and time. Development should be accelerated, and the money saved will be used for the development and infrastructure development. I am looking forward to it... We welcome this bill because this is the most important, and I think that this should have been done earlier," Sharma said. Meanwhile, BJP Lok Sabha MP Sudhakar K expressed that 'One Nation, One Election' aligns with the government's goal of ensuring uninterrupted progress and explained that the election processes often waste valuable time, hindering development and administration. Sudhakar urged lawmakers to support the bill, stressing that it would benefit the nation as a whole by promoting good governance and development. "(One Nation) One Election is the ultimate wish of this government...It is just to make sure that the country is going to be put on a path of progress without any hindrance due to continuous election processes. We waste at least one and a half years during the election processes of various states," he said. "The administration and the development take a back seat... It's a very good move. Secondly, we will even save a lot of funds... We'll be supporting this, and maybe it is being tabled tomorrow... I request all the members of all the parties to not stick to the political part of it. This is in the interest of the nation. Please support this bill and ensure that this country is put on the path of good governance and development," he added. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill will be introduced by Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal. Meghwal is also likely to introduce a Bill to further tomorrow to amend the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. This bill seeks to align elections for assemblies in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry for the purposes of simultaneous elections. 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. The Union Cabinet approved the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal in September, 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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