One Nation, One Poll: NDA hopeful of support from former allies, fence-sitters

The decision of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) to move ahead with the decision on One Nation, One Poll has brought together all the partners of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), but the Narendra Modi government needs more support from elsewhere too, either from the Opposition Bloc or its former partners.

While most NDA members have been supportive of the decision since the beginning, parties like Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) have come out in support after they joined the ruling alliance earlier this year.

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Realising that the Centre will need greater support from parties that are not part of NDA, the BJP leadership is agreeable to the idea of sending the bill to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to hold greater consultations on the issue. The NDA needs backing from some members the INDIA alliance besides fence-sitters to ensure the passage of the constitutional amendment bill. 

The NDA's current strength in Lok Sabha, which currently has 542 members and one vacancy, is around 293 against the two-third mark of 361. The INDIA bloc enjoys the support of nearly 235 MPs.

In the Rajya Sabha, the ruling alliance has nearly 122 members, a tally which is set to rise after the ongoing process to fill vacancies is over. The Upper House's sanctioned strength is 243.

Another core issue, pending 

The decision to have simultaneous elections in the country has been one of the remaining core issues of the BJP leadership. The ruling party has already fulfilled some of the prominent election promises, like the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. The only two remaining issues that remain incomplete for now are the issues of holding simultaneous elections in the country and the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

“The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is supportive of the decision. If we look at Andhra Pradesh, Lok Sabha elections and Assembly elections already happen together so we have no issues with holding simultaneous elections. The idea of One Nation, One Poll is not new for Andhra Pradesh because it is already happening in the state,” Pattabhi Ram Kommareddy, national spokesperson of TDP, told The Federal.

Former NDA partners too are game

Former NDA alliance partners are also mulling to support the Centre's ambitious move. 

Even as political infighting has led to internal strife with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a former alliance partner of the NDA, the party has also come forward in support of the decision on simultaneous polls. The SAD leadership is ready to offer support, but it says some of the party's concerns must be addressed before it gets implemented.

“The SAD agrees with the idea of implementing One Nation, One Poll. There is, in principle, agreement on the issue of One Nation, One Poll in Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), but we have concerns about the timing of the bill. We want to understand why the Bill is being brought now. Is it because the Centre feels that at some stage the parties that are supporting the BJP in Lok Sabha may withdraw support?” Naresh Gujral, a senior leader of SAD, told The Federal.

Also Read: One Nation One Election: Let it be contested in political arena; no need to summon red herrings

While SAD is mulling over, former NDA partner Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is also not completely rejecting the idea.

“We think that there is a need for greater consultation on the issue and all stakeholders must give their views on the issue of One Nation, One Election. We want to understand what will happen if there is a lack of majority in Parliament or Assembly or if the government loses the confidence of the House during its tenure. There are many issues that have not been addressed so far and that is why we believe that there is a need for more consultation and dialogue among political parties,” Sasmit Patra, BJD MP, told The Federal.

YSRCP to back? 

The Centre is also hopeful that regional parties like the YSRCP may come forward to support the move. The YSRCP has earlier supported the idea of One Nation, One Poll and it will be interesting to see if the BJP’s alliance with TDP would create any change in its stand.

“We have not made a decision yet but we will do it in the next couple of days. Our leader Jagan Mohan Reddy will take the final call after talks,” V Vijayasai Reddy, a senior leader of YSRCP and parliamentarian, told The Federal.

Is One Nation, One Poll a pipe dream? 

Political analysts believe that while the idea of One Nation, One Election has some difficulties, parties must come together for the passage of the Bill.

“There are many practical difficulties in the implementation of One Nation, One Poll. It is also true that some of the concerns have not been answered yet. However, the idea of having simultaneous polls is in the interest of the country and all political parties must have greater consultations and implement the idea,” SK Dwivedi, a Lucknow-based political analyst, told The Federal.