‘One Nation, One Solution - To Get Rid Of BJP Misrule’: Kharge Questions ‘One Nation, One Election’ Agenda

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his concerns about 'One Nation, One Election', claiming that such drastic actions would "sabotage" India's democracy.

File Photo of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge

Source : PTI

As the government explores the move for simultaneous elections in India, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday asserted that the people of India have one nation, one solution for 2024, which is to get rid of the BJP's "misrule". In a statement posted on X, Kharge termed the high-level committee constituted by the Centre to examine the feasibility of 'One Nation, One Election' a "gimmick" and alleged that the Modi government wants to slowly replace democracy in India with dictatorship.

Kharge expressed his concerns about the move, claiming that the proposal of 'One Nation, One Election' is a subterfuge for dismantling the Federal Structure of India. He argued that such drastic actions would "sabotage" India's democracy, constitution, and evolved time-tested procedures.

He also raised concerns about the lack of representation from political parties at both the national and state levels, the absence of elected governments' involvement, and the committee's exclusion of a representative from the Election Commission (EC).

"Should this huge exercise unilaterally be undertaken without consulting the political parties at the National level and at the State level? Should this humongous operation happen without bringing States and their elected governments on board?" he asked.

Modi Govt wants Democratic India to slowly turn it into a Dictatorship.

This gimmick of forming a committee on 'One Nation, One Election' is a subterfuge for dismantling the Federal Structure of India.

There will be at least five Amendments required in the Constitution of…

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) September 3, 2023

Kharge highlighted that until 1967, India did not have so many states, nor did it have 30.45 lakh elected representatives in panchayats. Given India's status as the world's largest democracy with numerous elected representatives, he argued that their future cannot be determined in one go for 2024.

He pointed out that the EC incurred significant expenditure on elections between 2014-19, making the cost-saving logic of 'One Nation, One Election' "questionable". 

"The fact that the cost incurred by Election Commission in conducting all elections between 2014-19 (including Lok Sabha 2019) is around ₹ 5,500 crore, which it is only a fraction of Government’s budget expenditure, makes the cost saving logic like penny wise, pound foolish.

Attacking the ruling saffron party, he remarked: "The BJP has a habit of overthrowing elected governments by disregarding the mandate of the people. Which have added considerably to the total number of 436 Bye Elections, since 2014 for Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies alone. This inherent greed for power in the BJP has already vitiated our politics and has rendered the anti-defection law, toothless."

"What can be accomplished by simple electoral reforms would prove to be a disaster, like other disruptive ideas of PM Modi," he added.

The Congress President also explained that at least five amendments to the Constitution and a massive change in the Representation of the People Act, 1951 would be required to hold simultaneous elections in the country as he questioned whether the proposed committee is best suited to deliberate and decide on such a significant disruption in India's electoral process.

He recommended that changes to the Model Code of Conduct could be made by shortening the length of the moratorium or relaxing the types of permitted developmental activities during the election season, with consensus among political parties.

"For 2024, people of India only have ONE NATION, ONE SOLUTION - To get rid of BJP misrule !" he remarked.

 ‘One Nation, One Election’: Modi Govt's 8-Member Panel

The government on Saturday notified an eight-member high-level committee, headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind, to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities, and panchayats.

Hours later, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the lone opposition leader in the panel, wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah declining to be a part of the committee, saying its terms of reference have been prepared in a manner to guarantee its conclusions.

The high-level committee, aside from Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, includes Home Minister Amit Shah, former leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Finance Commission chairman N K Singh, former Lok Sabha secretary-general Subhash C Kashyap, senior advocate Harish Salve, and former chief vigilance commissioner Sanjay Kothari as members. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will attend the meetings of the committee as a special invitee, while Law Secretary Niten Chandra will be the secretary to the panel.