Blurb
Joshi rejected Congress’ criticism, saying election reform won’t weaken states’ powers. He accused opponents of misinformation, urged parties to gain public support.
Gadag
Union Minister Prahlad Joshi has defended the idea of One Nation, One Election, saying the proposal will not weaken the powers of state governments or damage India’s federal structure. Speaking to reporters in Gadag, Joshi criticised Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, for opposing the plan and said their concerns about the system were not based on facts.
Explaining the process behind the proposal, Joshi said the report prepared by the Joint Parliamentary Committee will first be submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker. After that, the report will be sent to the Central Government for detailed review. He said final decisions will only be taken after careful examination and discussion. Joshi added that the constitutional rights and responsibilities of states will continue to remain protected.
Responding to criticism from Congress, Joshi said the federal system would only face a threat if the Centre tried to remove powers given to states. He argued that the proposed election reform does not involve taking away state authority. He also accused Congress leaders of spreading misleading information about the plan and said political parties should focus on strengthening their support among people instead of opposing reforms without proper reasons.
Joshi also criticised Rahul Gandhi’s statements on the issue, saying the Congress party should focus on building its organisation and public support. He said national-level political strength depends on the efforts of individual parties and cannot be blamed on others. He challenged opposition parties to win public confidence through elections if they disagree with government policies.
The minister further referred to past political events and alleged that concerns about democracy and state governments had existed during earlier Congress governments. He mentioned the Supreme Court’s decision in the S. R. Bommai case as an important moment in protecting federal principles. Joshi said political parties must respect democratic institutions and work towards gaining public trust. He maintained that One Nation, One Election aims to improve election management while keeping the rights of states unchanged.