Intro
BJP, Congress, AAP, JD(S) and Left leaders shared opposing views before committee.
CH NEWS
BENGALURU
The Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the proposed ‘One Nation, One Election’ system held consultations with major political parties in Bengaluru, with leaders expressing sharply divided opinions on the proposal for simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
The committee, constituted by the Central Government to study the feasibility of conducting elections to Parliament and State Assemblies together, is on a visit to Bengaluru from May 16 to 19 as part of its nationwide consultations.
Leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Janata Dal (Secular) and Left parties participated in the discussions and presented their views before the committee.
Senior Congress leaders including Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, H. K. Patil, Priyank Kharge and former Union Minister M. Veerappa Moily attended the meeting and strongly opposed the proposal.
Shivakumar termed the proposal “power-centric and politically motivated,” arguing that it would weaken the federal structure and reduce the powers of states. He said the Karnataka Legislative Assembly had already passed a resolution opposing the concept and reiterated the state government’s stand before the committee.
Questioning the practicality of synchronising elections across states with different political timelines, Shivakumar cited examples of governments in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Punjab and Telangana, where elections were held at different times due to varying political circumstances.
On the other hand, Karnataka BJP president B. Y. Vijayendra strongly backed the proposal and described it as a “structural necessity” for strengthening democracy.
Vijayendra argued that simultaneous elections would reduce repeated election expenditure, minimise disruption caused by continuous poll cycles and allow governments to focus more on governance and development works rather than constant campaigning.
He said the BJP firmly supports the ‘One Nation, One Election’ concept as an important electoral reform aimed at improving administrative efficiency and reducing financial burden on the exchequer.
The committee is expected to continue consultations with various stakeholders during its Bengaluru visit before preparing its recommendations on the proposed electoral reform.