'One nation, one election' report: 32 political parties support, 15 oppose proposal

New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI) The high-level committee on "one nation, one election" approached 62 political parties, of which 47 responded — 32 voicing support to holding simultaneous polls and 15 opposing it — according to the panel's report that was accepted by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday.

Fifteen political parties did not submit a response, said the report by the panel headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind.

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.

"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.

"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 said.

According to the report submitted by the panel to President Droupadi Murmu in March, the AAP, the Congress 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.

Among other parties, the CPI(ML) Liberation and the Social Democratic Party of India opposed it, while the Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal, Bharatiya Samaj Party, Gorkha National Liberal Front, Hindustani Awam Morcha, Rashtriya Lok Jan Shakti Party and Rashtrawadi Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) were among those who opposed.

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, at 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. PTI