One nation, one election: Cong reiterates its opposition to idea, calls it bid to divert

New Delhi: With the Union Cabinet approving bills to implement 'one nation, one election', the Congress on Thursday reiterated its opposition to the very idea of simultaneous polls and accused the government of trying to divert attention from "questions being raised on the electoral integrity of the democratic system".

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved bills to implement 'one nation, one election' and the draft legislations are likely to be introduced in Parliament in the ongoing Winter Session, sources said.

"The Union Cabinet has cleared the Bill on One Nation One Election. The views of the Indian National Congress on this subject had been forcefully articulated by its President Mallikarjun Kharge ji on January 17, 2024. Nothing has happened since then to modify them," said Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh.

Kharge, in a letter to the secretary of the high-level committee on 'one nation, one election' on January 17, 2024, had said, "The Indian National Congress is strongly opposed to the very idea of 'One Nation, One Election'."

"For the sake of maintaining a thriving and a robust democracy, it is it imperative that the entire idea must be abandoned and the High Power Committee dissolved," he added.

Asked about the development, Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said that in the past also, his party has raised many questions related to elections, electoral systems and electoral integrity.

"Now let this Bill come, let us see what they are trying to do. But we have said in the past also there are many concerns among the INDIA bloc about the impact on the federal character of our country through this Bill," Gogoi told PTI.

"PM Modi has not walked the talk, he talks of 'one nation, one election' and yet when it suits him...he does Haryana and Maharashtra elections separately. He does Gujarat elections separately. He does not even hold polls in states in one phase, he does it in five phases when it suits him," he said.

Gogoi said the people of India are very wise and understand there are much larger questions that need to be raised with respect to the entire electoral process such as the role of election commissioners and their appointment.

"I think they are only trying to divert from the questions that are being raised in people's mind with respect to the electoral integrity of our democratic system," he added.

Moving ahead with its 'one nation, one election' plan, the government had earlier in September accepted the recommendations of the high-level committee for holding simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies in a phased manner.