NEW DELHI: The One Nation One Election (ONOE) bill on Thursday moved a notch closer towards taking shape as a law, with the Union Cabinet approving the draft legislation to be tabled in Parliament, most likely next week.
The bill, drafted after a recommendation of a committee led by ex-President Ram Nath Kovind, serves the long-sought simultaneous election demand of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Though the bill remains to be tabled, with the high likelihood that the government may refer it to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for deeper deliberations, it has become a new front of flash-off between the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc.
NDA calls bill ambitious
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kangana Ranaut praised the ONOE initiative, calling it the need of the hour as conducting elections every six months imposes a significant financial burden on the government.
"'One Nation, One Election' is very important because conducting elections every six months costs the government treasury a great deal. The biggest challenge is encouraging people to come out and vote repeatedly. Voter turnout is declining every year. This is the need of the hour, and everyone supports it," she said.
BJP's ally Lok Janshakti Party (RV) MP Shambhavi Choudhary also welcomed the move.
"This is an ambitious bill, LJP has supported it... Every six month there is election in some state and leaders focus on that. Many times representatives are also not able to give time in Parliament, resources are wasted," she told news agency PTI.
Opposition says bill 'against federal spirit'
The opposition MPs questioned if the nation was prepared to carry out polls in one go, given the logistical challenges and geographical hurdles. A few leaders also pointed to the recently concluded state polls which were conducted in considerable time gaps.
The most fierce criticism of simultaneous polls came from Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, who urged to "resist this attack on Indian democracy", saying the step towards simultaneous poll will "erase regional voices".
"The Union Cabinet has approved introducing the draconian 'One Nation, One Election Bill' in Parliament. This impractical and anti-democratic move will erase regional voices, erode federalism, and disrupt governance. Rise up INDIA! Let us resist this attack on Indian Democracy with all our strength!" Stalin wrote in a post on X.
Congress Lok Sabha member K Suresh said his party has already made its stand clear, and it is opposed to simultaneous polls.
"Our party has already cleared our stand from the beginning, our stand has not changed. We are opposing it. The entire opposition is opposing it," he said.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh demanded that the proposed bill be sent to a JPC, claiming that the bill "undermines democracy".
"The bill will be presented in Parliament, and we want it to be referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which will hold discussions on it. The Indian National Congress's position was clarified last year by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, who sent a four-page letter to former President Ram Nath Kovind's committee on One Nation, One Election, stating that we oppose the bill," Ramesh told news agency ANI.
He further remarked, "It is against democracy and the basic structure of the Constitution."
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member John Brittas claimed it is against the federal spirit of the country.
"One nation, one election, is part of their slogan 'one leader, one country, one ideology, one language...' It's against the federal spirit of the country," he said.
Some parties sit on the fence
Unlike other allies in the INDIA bloc, Shiv Sena (UBT) has not outrightly rejected the idea of simultaneous election but has expressed scepticism about the plausibility of the step.
"One Nation one election sounds good, if the nation can go in that direction, nothing like it. But what is the reality? Is the Election Commission ready for it? Do we have enough forces, infrastructure?" asked Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai according to news agency PTI.
Desai further said: "J&K, and Haryana elections could have been held together with Maharashtra but it was not done. Even the Jharkhand election was held in two phases... If government has some solution it can be discussed, but in present situation it does not appear they can do it."
BJD Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra said greater consultations need to be held.
"Greater consultation has to be done. What happens when there is a lack of majority, hung assembly or Parliament, or a government loses confidence mid-way... " he questioned.
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