Why PM Modi wants 'one country one election'

Posted on 27th Nov 2020 by rohit kumar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has once again emphasized the need for 'one nation, one election'. He discussed the closing session of the 80th All India Conference of Presiding Officers through videoconferencing.

 

He said, "One Nation One Election is not just a matter of discussion but India needs. Every few months elections are being held somewhere in India. This affects the development works. In this way One Nation, One Election is intensive Brainstorming is necessary. "

 

In June last year, the Prime Minister had called an all-party meeting on the issue of 'one country, one election'. He has been insisting on holding the elections of Lok Sabha and all the assemblies together for a long time. But the opinion of political parties on this issue has been divided.

 

Prime Minister Modi has said many times that if the elections of the Lok Sabha and all the assemblies are held simultaneously, it will save money and time.

 

They say that due to repeated elections, administrative work is also affected. If all elections are held simultaneously in the country, the parties will also be able to devote more time to the development work of the country and the state.

 

First formal meeting

For the first time in June last year, the Prime Minister formally called a meeting with all the parties to discuss the issue, for which he invited the heads of all the parties.

 

Then Union Minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said about this, "This is the situation in this country that elections are held every month. Every time elections are held, it costs."

 

"Due to the imposition of a code of conduct, many administrative functions are also stopped, and in every state elections, outside officials are posted, due to which the work of their state is affected."

 

Parties differ

But the opinion of political parties is divided on this issue. Last year, when the Law Commission advised political parties on this issue, then parties like Samajwadi Party, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Shiromani Akali Dal supported the idea of ​​'one country, one election'.

 

However, DMK, Trinamool Congress, CPI, AIUDF, and Goa Forward Party opposed this idea.

 

The Congress said that it would discuss the remaining opposition parties before deciding its stand. The CPIM had said that holding the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections together would be against the principle of undemocratic and federalism.

 

Left parties say that this is an impractical idea, which will destroy the mandate and democracy. Suhas Palashikar, Professor of Political Science, also believes something similar.

 

They say that by changing the rules, elections to the Lok Sabha and all the legislatures can be held simultaneously.

 

But he also says that such a change will be against the two elements of the country's constitution - parliamentary democracy and federalism.

 

Suhas Palashikar says, "One country, one election means that elections will be held only after five years. We will not be able to do it before that. Think of it as if a party's majority in an assembly is lost for some reason. Today's system is that there are elections again, even before five years. But a country will not be the same in an election system. "

 

He says that a country, "In an election, it is necessary that when the Lok Sabha elections come, then the assembly elections should also come. This case has been going on for many years. Now it has been raised once again, but I believe That it is against the elements of the Constitution. "

 

Suhas Palashikar says that he does not think it will save money. They say that if money is left, then democracy will be destroyed to save money.

 

He said, "I think this question should not be about money. The question is, are we ready to compromise with our republic?"

 

Supporters argument

It is said that during the Lok Sabha elections, the voter votes differently and during the assembly elections differently.

 

Those opposing the idea of ​​'one country, one election' say that if these two elections are held simultaneously, the voter will vote for the same party in the center and the state.

 

But those who support this idea and issue give an example of Odisha. Supporters say that the four assembly elections in Odisha, since 2004, were held along with the Lok Sabha elections and the results also varied.

 

The same happened in Andhra Pradesh, where the Lok Sabha elections and assembly elections were held together but the results were different.

 

The supporters argue that the code of conduct in Odisha is also applied for a short time, due to which there is less interference in the functioning of the government than in other states.

 

How many simultaneous elections were held

After independence, elections were held in the country for the first time in 1951-52. Then the Lok Sabha elections and the assembly elections in all the states were held simultaneously.

 

After this, elections were held simultaneously in 1957, 1962, and 1967, but then this chain was broken.

 

In the year 1999, the Law Commission said in its report for the first time that Lok Sabha and Assembly elections should be held simultaneously.

 

In 2015, the Parliamentary Committee on Law and Justice recommended to hold elections simultaneously.

 

The current Prime Minister Narendra Modi supports the idea of ​​one country one election.

 

Before last year's Lok Sabha elections, it was also being said that the Modi government could think of holding the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections together, although this did not happen.

 

The Modi government also wanted to hold assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand with the Lok Sabha elections held last year, but it is said that the Chief Ministers of these states did not give their consent.

 

Despite having a BJP government in these states, the chief ministers there said that they cannot dissolve their assembly prematurely.

 

In such a situation, questions arose that if the BJP could not agree with its people on this issue, then how would it be able to agree with other parties.