One Nation, One Election | PM Modi wants India to turn into dictatorship: Kharge
Alleges that the BJP has a habit of overthrowing elected governments by disregarding the mandate of the people
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday (September 3) slammed the Modi government, alleging that it wants “democratic India to slowly turn it into a dictatorship”. He said this “gimmick of forming a committee on ‘one nation, one election’ is a subterfuge for dismantling the federal structure of India”.
Kharge alleged that the BJP has a habit of overthrowing elected governments by disregarding the mandate of the people. “It has added considerably to 436 bypolls since 2014 for parliamentary and assembly constituencies alone. This inherent greed for power in the BJP has already vitiated our politics and has rendered the anti-defection law, toothless. Drastic actions like ‘one nation, one election’ would sabotage our democracy, Constitution and evolved time-tested procedures,” he said.
“India is the world’s largest democracy. We have lakhs of elected representatives, and their future cannot be determined at one go, now. For 2024, people of India only have ONE NATION, ONE SOLUTION - To get rid of BJP misrule!” he tweeted.
Rahul slams govt
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also alleged that the idea of “one nation, one election” is an attack on the Indian Union and all its states.
In a Twitter post, Rahul said, “INDIA, that is Bharat, is a Union of States. The idea of ‘one nation, one election’ is an attack on the Union and all its States.” His attack comes after the government set up a high-level committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind on the possibility of holding simultaneous elections.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has already declined to be part of the committee. He has also lamented the exclusion of Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge from the committee. The government has included in the committee Ghulam Nabi Azad, the former leader of the opposition, instead of Kharge.
‘Timing suspect’
Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said the timing of the high-level committee on ‘one nation, one election’ is highly suspect and its terms of reference have already determined its recommendations.
Ramesh said the composition of the committee is also a total give away and that is why Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, has rightly refused to be a part of it. “The high-level committee on what is called “One Nation One Election” is a ritualistic exercise, the timing of which is highly suspect. Its terms of reference have already determined its recommendations,” he tweeted.
‘No rationale’
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has also questioned the rationale behind the ‘one nation, one election’ concept, wondering what the common man will get from such an arrangement. “What is important for the country? One Nation One Election or One Nation One Education/One Nation One Treatment. What will the common man get from One Nation One Election” he posted on Twitter in Hindi.
The government on Saturday notified the eight-member committee to examine and make recommendations at the earliest on the issue of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities and panchayats.
The committee will examine and recommend specific amendments to the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act and any other laws and rules which would require amendments for the purpose of holding simultaneous elections. It will also examine and recommend, if the amendments to the Constitution would require ratification by the states.
(With agency inputs)