Simultaneous polls hurt State rights: Opposition

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge addresses a press conference ahead of Assenbly polls, in Srinagar, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

 Opposition parties deplored the Union Cabinet’s approval for the proposal of simultaneous elections, claiming it will destroy “federalism” and was “impractical”. The government, Opposition parties argued, hasn’t explained how it will deal with situations when a ruling party loses majority in a State or at the Centre. 

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge dismissed “one nation, one election” as a “diversionary” tactic. At a press conference at the party headquarters in Delhi, he said, “It is not practical, it will not work. When elections come and they (BJP) do not get any issue to raise, they divert attention from real issues.” The States will not agree with the scheme, Mr. Kharge added.

Questioning the decision, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien said if the government is incapable of holding an election in Maharashtra along with elections in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, how can it aim to synchronise the general election and Assembly elections.

“One nation, one election is just another cheap stunt by the anti-democratic BJP. Why was the Maharashtra election not announced along with elections in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir?” he asked. “It was to ensure that beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin scheme announced by the Maharashtra government in June receive a second tranche of funds. The first tranche reached the bank accounts of women in August and the second tranche will reach the beneficiaries in October,” he said. 

There are several fundamental questions the government needs to answer before it can even think about rolling out the scheme, senior Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Manoj K. Jha contended. He said, “What happens if there is no clear majority in a State election? Will you then run a proxy government till the next election? There is no empirical evidence to conclude that multiple elections have slowed down the country’s growth.”

Communist Party of India general secretary D. Raja in a post on X said that his party has consistently opposed the idea, first before the Law Commission of India and then before the Ramnath Kovind Committee constituted to look into the issue. “Makers of the Constitution were aware of India’s diversity and envisaged a federal polity. They also provided for the Election Commission of India as a permanent body, anticipating multiple and frequent elections, deriving its authority directly from Article 324 of the Constitution. One nation, one election goes against this vision and curtails State rights,” he said.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the proposed move will destroy federalism. “I have consistently opposed one nation, one election because it is a solution in search of a problem. It destroys federalism and compromises democracy, which are part of the basic structure of the Constitution,” he said in a post on X. Mr. Owaisi said multiple elections are not a problem for anyone except Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah as they want to campaign in every election.