New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), opposing the concept of 'One nation, One election', said that the simultaneous polls will damage the idea of parliamentary democracy. This concept as it is unable to deal with hung legislatures and will actively encourage the evils of anti-defection and open buying and selling of MLAs and MPs.
In a letter written to Secretary High-Level Committee, 'One nation, One election' (ONOE) Niten Chandra on January 18, AAP National Secretary Pankaj Gupta said that with the implementation of the ONOE, the party ruling at the Union level gains an unfair advantage over regional parties and other parties contesting the centre-ruling party in the states.
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"Aam Aadmi Party strongly opposes the idea of 'One nation, One election'. 'One nation, One election' will damage the idea of parliamentary democracy, the basic structure of the Constitution and the federal polity of the country. 'One nation, One election' is unable to deal with hung legislatures and will actively encourage the evil of anti-defection and open buying and selling of MLAs and MPs," the AAP Secretary said.
The AAP has also said that the tenets of the constitution and democracy cannot be sacrificed for narrow financial gains and administrative convenience.
Pankaj Gupta further said that conducting polls simultaneously will detrimentally impact the Indian multi-party system, where several parties have emerged to represent the voices of those who were erstwhile marginalised in mainstream politics.
"The Aam Aadmi Party believes that ONOE poses a threat to the national agenda and, in turn, the party ruling at the Union level gains an unfair advantage over regional parties and other parties contesting the centre-ruling party in the states....", he added.
