'One Nation, One Election' | Congress among 15 parties that opposed move during consultation

While the government is all set to introduce the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill in Parliament next week following its approval by the Union Cabinet, 15 political parties, including the Congress, had rejected the idea during the consultation process.

Delivering the 7th Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial Lecture on Simultaneous Elections on October 5, former President Ram Nath Kovind, who headed a high-level committee that studied the proposal, had said that 32 political parties had backed the move. He had also stated many among the 15 parties, which rejected the proposal, supported simultaneous elections at some point in past.

The Union Cabinet on Thursday (December 12) approved Bills to implement ‘One Nation, One Election’, and the draft legislations are likely to be introduced in Parliament in the ongoing Winter Session.

Also read: Explained: Why One Nation, One Election is seen as anti-federal

Report submitted in March

“During our consultation process, 47 political parties presented their views to the Committee. 32 out of these 47 parties supported the idea of simultaneous elections. 15 parties did not. However, many among these 15 parties have supported simultaneous elections in the past, at one time or another,” Kovind had said.

Among the national parties, the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) opposed the proposal, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National People's Party (NPP) supported it.

The panel headed by Kovind submitted its report to the President in March.

“Responses were received from 47 political parties. Barring 15 political parties, the remaining 32 political parties not only favoured the system of simultaneous elections, but also advocated its adoption for saving scarce resources, protecting social harmony, and stimulating economic development,” the report said.

Undermines democracy: Cong

“Those who opposed simultaneous elections raised apprehensions that its adoption could violate the basic structure of the Constitution, be anti-democratic and anti-federal, marginalise regional parties, encourage the dominance of national parties, and result in a presidential form of government,” it added.

Also read: Unclear roadmap, unanswered questions render 'One Nation, One Election' a pipedream

According to the report, the Congress, the AAP and the CPI(M) rejected the proposal, saying it undermines democracy and the basic structure of the Constitution. The BSP did not explicitly oppose it, but highlighted concerns regarding the large territorial extent and population of the country, which could make its implementation challenging.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) said if simultaneous elections are implemented, state-level parties will not be able to compete with national parties as far as electoral strategy and expenditure are concerned, leading to an increased discord between these two sets of parties.

Among the state parties, the AIUDF, the Trinamool Congress, the AIMIM, the CPI, the DMK, the Naga People's Front, and the SP opposed the proposal.

The AIADMK, All Jharkhand Students' Union, Apna Dal (Soney Lal), ASOM Gana Parishad, Biju Janata Dal, Lok Janashakti Party (R), Mizo National Front, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, Shiv Sena, Janata Dal (United), Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, Shiromani Akali Dal and United People's Party Liberal supported the proposal.

Others, including Bharat Rashtra Samithi, Indian Union Muslim League, Jammu And Kashmir National Conference, Janata Dal (Secular), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Kerala Congress (M), Nationalist Congress Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, Revolutionary Socialist Party, Sikkim Democratic Front, Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress Party, did not respond.

Also read: One Nation One Election Bill draconian; will erase regional voices, erode federalism: Stalin

Majority support in all-party meet

The report also said at an all-party meeting in 2019, which was attended by 19 political parties to discuss critical reforms in governance, holding simultaneous elections was among the issues discussed and 16 of the parties had favoured it. Only three parties had opposed the idea, it said.

According to the report, in the 2019 meeting, the parties that had supported the idea were -- the BJP, Nationalist Congress Party, Janata Dal (United), YSR Congress, Biju Janata Dal, Bharat Rashtra Samithi, Lok Janashakti Party, Shiromani Akali Dal, Apna Dal, All Jharkhand Students' Union, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, National Democratic Progressive Party, National People's Party, People's Democratic Party, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party and Republican Party of India.

The CPI(M), AIMIM and RSP were the only parties that had opposed it.

(With agency inputs)