NEW DELHI
The BJP on Tuesday batted for simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha, state Assemblies and local bodies with the same voter list for all three. A presentation was made before a High-Level Committee (HLC) formed to look into the feasibility of the “One Nation, One Election” idea. The panel is headed by former president of India, Ram Nath Kovind.
In the BJP’s eight-page letter and in the party president J.P. Nadda’s briefing to the media, it was suggested that simultaneous polls, with a common voter list were desirable and a law based on consensus should be the goal. The BJP wants that the law should be amended to hold simultaneous polls, Mr Nadda said.
Mr. Nadda also said that the BJP has proposed that if holding all the three-tier polls together was not possible immediately, then Lok Sabha and assembly elections could be held together first. “But in the long run, local body polls should also be held alongside Lok Sabha and assembly elections, or it will defeat the purpose due to the frequent imposition of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC),” he said. In the letter submitted to the HLC, the BJP states that when elections are imminent state governments tend to make populist, short term decisions rather than more policy based, long term ones.
MCC paralyses govt
It was also suggested that the frequent imposition of the MCC paralyses government in policy terms. In Maharashtra of the 365 days in 2016-17, some part of the state or the other was under an MCC for 301 days. “It would be difficult under these circumstances to have effective governance,” said the letter.
“The committee should evolve a consensus on holding simultaneous elections,” Mr Nadda said, expressing confidence that everyone will move together on this.
“Ongoing development work is stopped during the period of an election, often three times in a state, causing stagnation of economic activities and adding to financial burdens on political parties and governments,” he said, adding that it also gives rise to corruption.
Security forces deployed for internal and external security are also used for election duties, Mr Nadda said, noting that civil staff like teachers and health sector workers are also part of election work. This adversely affects administration and pro-people work, he said.
Major opposition parties, including the Congress, the Trinamool Congress and the DMK, have strongly opposed the idea, first mooted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, dubbing it as an assault on the country’s federal structure.
