Attempt to divert attention before elections: Kharge on ONOE proposal

In the wake of the Modi cabinet's approval of the 'one nation, one election' proposal today, 18 September, Congress MP and general-secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh has reposted on X a letter which party president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote in January this year, informing the high-level committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind that this initiative undermines the Constitution's basic structure and is incompatible with a parliamentary system.

In his letter dated 17 January to the committee’s secretary Niten Chandra, Kharge had urged the abandonment of the proposal for the sake of a "robust democracy" and warned against the potential misuse of the former President's office by the Union government.

"It is distressing that even common voters perceive the committee's consultations as mere pretense, suggesting that decisions have already been made," he had written. "The Indian National Congress firmly opposes the concept of One Nation, One Election. To preserve a thriving democracy, this initiative must be abandoned, and the High Power Committee should be dissolved."

Today, Kharge reiterated his views at a press conference in Delhi. "It is not practical. It will not work. When elections come, and they are not getting any issues to raise, then they divert attention from real issues."

Later, in a post in Hindi on X, the Congress chief said 'one nation, one election' is just a BJP issue to divert attention. "This is against the Constitution, this is contrary to democracy, this is against federalism. The country will never accept this," he said.

The objection is not limited to the Congress. Today, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused the Union government of nurturing a hidden agenda to weaken the country's federal system through 'one nation, one election'.

In a statement, he said the 'Sangh Parivar' is making a clandestine effort to change the present electoral politics in India into a presidential system and sabotage the diverse nature of India's parliamentary democracy.

The Kovind committee had recommended simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies as the first step, followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days. The panel had also proposed setting up an 'implementation group' to look into the execution of recommendations made by the committee.

Pointing out that each state has a different situation and background, Vijayan said holding elections mechanically without taking into account specific political issues, or imposing Central rule by sabotaging the people's mandate, would destroy democracy.

Jharkhand chief minister and JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) supremo Hemant Soren joined his Kerala counterpart in criticising the 'one nation, one election' proposal, saying the BJP wanted only one party to rule the country as well as the states.

Addressing a government function in Jamtara district, Soren said, "I just came to know that the Union cabinet approved the proposal for 'one nation, one election'. Now, they (BJP) want only one party to rule this country and only one government in place... be it the country or the states. There will be no other government. These people, who disrupt communal harmony, always want to rule."

Among the Kovind panel's other recommendations are the preparation of a common electoral roll and voter ID cards by the Election Commission of India in consultation with state election authorities.

However, the Manipur unit of the Congress today said it would be very difficult to provide security to all polling booths if simultaneous polls are held.

Manipur Congress working president Kh Devbrata Singh told reporters, "It will be very difficult to hold simultaneous elections in a country like India which has over 90 crore voters. It will be very difficult to provide sufficient security to all polling booths simultaneously."

Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK also said it would continue to oppose the "one nation, one election" plan of the Centre, asserting this has been its position ever since the idea was mooted. DMK organising secretary R.S. Bharathi said, "We have been opposing this from day one," adding the party would continue its stand.

Similarly, the CPI (Communist Party of India) has been consistent in its opposition to any anti-federal move that affects state rights. The CPI had opposed 'one nation, one election' on all possible forums and has placed its position against ONOE before the Law Commission of India and the Kovind committee.

"RSS wants to impose homogeneity in all spheres of life and now their obsession has reached the electoral process. After one tax, one language, one culture, one religion, they are trying to move in the direction of one election, one party and one leader," the party has said.

Reacting to the Union cabinet’s decision to adopt ONOE, CPI leader in the Rajya Sabha P. Sandosh Kumar said, “We oppose this anti-democratic and anti-federal idea and its imposition. At the same time, we demand comprehensive electoral reforms including the state funding of elections as recommended by the Indrajit Gupta committee.”

Senior Congress leader T.S. Singhdeo said, "It is only a strategy of political convenience, and what I can see is nothing beyond that. The same party which is governing the country as part of the NDA has been talking about this for the past few years.

"You see their intent. Had they really been proponent of this view that this will be a great benefit to the country and the society...what attempt did they make to ensure that Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections take place at the same time?"

Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat also said the BJP has realised that it will lose in Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra and Jharkhand. "Losing one state after another, the BJP was not in a position to sustain the pressure that would have resulted in a collapse of its coalition government. That's why the rattled government has opted for 'one nation, one election' formula," he said.

With PTI inputs