Bengaluru, May 16 While the BJP strongly supported the implementation of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative, the Congress vehemently opposed the proposal during a discussion meeting convened by the Joint Parliamentary Committee of the Lok Sabha Secretariat in Bengaluru on Saturday.
The committee visited the Taj West End hotel and held consultations with political parties regarding the proposed constitutional amendment related to simultaneous elections.
The Karnataka unit of the BJP submitted a memorandum urging the implementation of simultaneous elections across the country.
State BJP President and MLA B. Y. Vijayendra and other senior party leaders participated in the discussions.
Among those present were MPs P. C. Mohan, Yaduveer Wadiyar and C. N. Manjunath; MLAs L. Ravi Subramanya, Suresh Gowda and Jyothi Ganesh; MLC K. S. Naveen; BJP state general secretary Nandeesh Reddy; and state chief spokesperson Ashwath Narayan.
Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC President D. K. Shivakumar strongly opposed the Central Government’s proposed ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative, terming it a politically motivated move aimed at centralising power and weakening the federal structure.
Expressing his views during the dialogue, Shivakumar said the proposal posed a threat to the democratic system and was being designed for the convenience of those in power at the Centre.
“As KPCC President and as Deputy Chief Minister of the Karnataka Government, I categorically reject this proposal,” he said.
He pointed out that the Karnataka Legislative Assembly had already passed a resolution opposing the concept and read out the resolution during the meeting.
Questioning the practicality of the proposal, Shivakumar asked what would happen if a government collapsed mid-term due to political instability, a no-confidence motion or lack of majority.
“Elections are held at different times in different states for different terms. Karnataka had its election three years ago, Tamil Nadu and Kerala had theirs recently, while Punjab and Telangana went to the polls at different times. How can all these elections be synchronised?” he questioned.
Alleging that the move was aimed at suppressing the voices of regional and Opposition parties, he said the Karnataka government does not agree with the proposal and would continue to stand by the position of the Congress national leadership.
--IANS
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