Political BacklashWhile the ruling BJP and its allies are pushing for simultaneous polls, several opposition parties have opposed the idea.The Congress has reiterated its opposition to ONOE and accused the government of trying to divert attention from “questions being raised on the electoral integrity of the democratic system.”Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, “The Union Cabinet has cleared the bill on ‘One Nation, One Election’. The views of the Indian National Congress on this subject were forcefully articulated by its President Mallikarjun Kharge Ji on January 17, 2024. Nothing has happened since then to modify them.”Notably, Kharge, in a letter to the secretary of the high-level committee on ONOE sent on January 17, had said, “The Indian National Congress is strongly opposed to the very idea of ‘One Nation, One Election’.””For the sake of maintaining a thriving and robust democracy, it is imperative that the entire idea must be abandoned and the high-level committee dissolved,” he added.West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the move, terming it “unconstitutional and anti-federal.””The Union Cabinet has bulldozed their way through with the unconstitutional and anti-federal One Nation, One Election Bill, ignoring every legitimate concern raised by experts and opposition leaders. This is not a carefully-considered reform; it’s an authoritarian imposition designed to undermine India’s democracy and federal structure,” she wrote on X.”Our MPs will oppose this draconian legislation tooth and nail in Parliament. Bengal will never bow to Delhi’s dictatorial whims. This fight is about saving India’s democracy from the clutches of autocracy!” she added.Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav Thursday termed the idea of simultaneous polls “impractical and undemocratic.” Describing the move as the “collective hijacking” of the electoral system, he claimed that it was a “conspiracy of autocratic idea against democracy.””Sometimes governments become unstable even in the middle of their term, then will the people there live without democratic representation? For this, the constitutionally elected government will have to be dissolved in the middle and it will be an insult to public opinion,” he wrote on X. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin also criticised the ONOE bill, calling it “impractical” and an “anti-democratic” move that will erase regional voices and erode federalism.”The Union Cabinet has approved introducing the draconian ‘One Nation, One Election Bill’ in Parliament. This impractical and anti-democratic move will erase regional voices, erode federalism, and disrupt governance. Rise up #INDIA! Let us resist this attack on Indian Democracy with all our strength! #SayNoToONOE” Stalin wrote on X.Hitting out the Union government, Punjab Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann asked, “Why don’t they hold ‘one nation, one education’ and provide health to all in the nation? They just want to go ahead with ‘one nation, one election’, but the issues of smaller and regional parties will remain buried,” he told reporters in the Parliament complex.Citing the recent assembly elections and bypolls, he said, “Why did they not hold elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand in one go? Why did they hold Jharkhand elections in two phases when there are only 80 seats?”Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday described ONOE as the BJP’s agenda and said its implications need to be seen.”They (BJP-led NDA) have the majority and they can take any decision. But, its implications and results need to be seen,” Soren told reporters at the Jharkhand assembly premises. He said that all the elections were held simultaneously when the country became independent.”This is their agenda. They will work on their agenda and we will work on our agenda,” said Soren, the JMM executive president.The opposition BRS in Telangana said it needs more clarity on the ONOE’ bill, before taking a stance on the issue. The BRS had supported the concept in 2017 when a meeting was convened on simultaneous polls, BRS Working President K T Rama Rao said.”But this is Modi 3.0, the third government of the NDA. I’m not sure what they have in mind. We are firm proponents of federalism and strong advocates for regional parties to have their voices heard. We will have to wait and see in what form this bill will come,” he said.Meanwhile, former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi had flagged concerns over the practicality and implications of the proposed move, saying some key recommendations are “flawed” as he emphasised the need for a debate in Parliament on these issues.The former CEC had also highlighted constitutional requirements for implementing the proposal. Any amendment would require a majority vote in both Houses of Parliament, alongside ratification from at least half of the states, a process that could prove complex and contentious.
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